When Your Mind is Not Your Own
by buckminsterbarnes
Summary: After an attempt on Captain James T. Kirk's life leaves him in a coma with no hope for recovery, Spock reaches out and finds a healer that claims that she can help. However, her helping hand comes with unexpected consequences. Can Kirk and his crew pay the high price that she sets for saving his life while they search for who's out to get him?
1. Chapter 1

"Bones, I'm not sure about this." Kirk cleared his throat as he adjusted the tight collar of his dress uniform.

"Don't be such an infant," McCoy helped him to pin the medals on his lapel, then smoothed out the wrinkles on his chest. "You're going to a banquet honoring your last mission. Most people would _die_ to receive an honor like this." McCoy brushed some dust off Kirk's shoulder.

"Is that why I feel like I'm dying?" Kirk asked and a small smile spread across his lips. McCoy raised an eyebrow at the younger man and gave him his 'I could slap you right now' look.

"Suck it up and sit through _one_ ceremony. Then you can get back to that death trap you call a ship." McCoy grumbled as he looked over Kirk one more time, searching for imperfections.

"Now, Bones, I know you don't mean that." Kirk laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "You know you wanna get back to the Enterprise just as much as I do."

"No thanks," McCoy started for the door as he called out defiantly. "I'd rather stay here on Earth, thank you very much. Nothing like solid ground under your feet."

"I've got a funny feeling in my stomach," Kirk said quietly as he stood still, staring at the door.

"If you're going to try and play sick to get out of this, it's not going to work." McCoy scoffed and waited for a response. He was met with an uneasy silence and he turned around to face Kirk again. "Are you okay, Jim?" He asked, seeing the concern written all over Kirk's face.

"I just have a bad feeling," Kirk admitted, shrugging slightly. "I'm sure it's nothing." He shook it off and the classic Kirk smirk reappeared on his face. "Let's just get this over with."

"After you, _Captain_." McCoy snickered, gesturing to the door.

Kirk shook his head and stepped out of the dressing room. He sucked in a deep breath as he made his way to the backstage, where there were a few Starfleet members waiting for him patiently.

"Captain Kirk," A young officer saluted him and Kirk saluted back respectfully. "They're waiting for you to make your remarks."

"Thank you, Ensign." Kirk nodded as he peered behind the corner of the wall to see the councilwoman introducing him.

"And now, without further ado, I present to you, the great Captain James Tiberius Kirk!" The woman gestured to him form the podium and Kirk stepped out from behind the wall, and was met with thunderous applause. Kirk smiled warmly and waved at the crowd as he stepped towards the podium, and the councilwoman took her leave. Kirk recognized his crew, sitting the front row of the crowd, all of them looking like proud parents. Kirk smiled to himself. _What did I do to deserve them_? He asked himself as he neared the podium. Still, despite the warm welcome, the uneasy feeling gnawed at his stomach. He took a deep breath as he remained steps away from the podium, when an explosion rang out through the room.

/

McCoy's head was spinning, the ringing in his ears blocking out most of his thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes as he tried to take in what had just happened. His muscles ached and groaned as he pulled himself up from the linoleum floor, his thoughts still jumbled in a mess of half-sentences. _What the hell?_ He finally managed to think as he looked at the carnage surrounding him. Smoke rose from the floor, the stage before him flickering with small flames. He looked behind him and watched the chaos of people swarming the exits in a frenzy. He shook his head in disbelief and turned his attention back to the stage.

 _Jim?_ He thought, watching the flames leap up the stage. _Jim!_ He stumbled to his feet and pulled himself up the stage stairs, his mind racing. His eyes caught on the crumpled mass laying battered against the wall. _Oh God,_ He swallowed hard as he remained frozen to his feet. He shook of the shock and raced towards Kirk, sliding and kneeling down beside him.

"Jim?" He yelled, but his voice seemed so distant and far away as his ears continued to ring. "Jim!" He cried out as he flipped his friend onto his back and saw the large piece of shrapnel that had pieced into Kirk's stomach. Kirk's eyes were wide with fear as he looked at his friend, his body bloodied and broken, dirt and debris smudged across his face. He looked down at his stomach in fear, but McCoy pushed his chin back and lifted his feet off the ground slightly.

McCoy watched in horror as Kirk mouthed his name, reaching a shaking hand to his arm. Spock knelt down beside the two men, placing a hand on McCoy's back. Spock's heart raced as he assessed the Captain's injuries.

"We need a med team over here!" McCoy screamed over his shoulder. "Now!" He continued, his voice going hoarse as he inhaled more of the thick smoke. "Hang on, Jim." McCoy pleaded as Kirk began to shake, his eyes still fixed on McCoy's face. "Hang on."

/

"God," McCoy breathed, his head still thundering from the concussion. "I can't believe this." He said quietly, gripping the back of his neck and rubbing it slowly.

"What do we do now?" Uhura asked, on the verge of tears. She gripped onto Spock's arm tightly as they stood in Kirk's hospital room, watching his chest rise and fall shakily. Spock stood stoically as he took in the sight of his once strong captain relying on the tubes in his throat to breathe.

"I..." McCoy trailed off, his eyes slowly moving to the vital signs blinking on the screen. "There's not much we can do," He said, defeated. His head hung low as he spoke, refusing to meet their eyes. "I've been over his file a million times." He breathed, barely holding back tears. "The most we can do is... is make him comfortable." He breathed, a tear slipping down his cheek. _I've failed him._ He thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. _I'm the goddamned doctor, and I can't even do anything for him._

" _No._ " Uhura said, near silently, her eyes filling with tears. "No, no there has to be _something._ " She said quickly, he grip on Spock getting stronger and stronger. "I mean, with all the modern medicine, there's has to be _something_." McCoy picked up his head and looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes. " _No_." She covered her face with her hand. She pressed her head against Spock's chest. Spock lifted his hand out of reflex and cupped her head with his hand gently, pulling her closer to him. He continued to stare at Kirk's his eyes refusing to tear away from the sight.

"What about Khan's blood?" Spock asked quietly, after a long pause.

"That would work if he was only fighting your typical broken bones, torn organs, and the works." McCoy explained, watching Kirk with absolute despair. "Jim, he has brain trauma. Even if we could boost the healing process, we can't do anything about his head. He couldn't regulate the healing even if he wanted to," McCoy let another tear slip form his eye. _This is it._ He thought. _This is the end._

Spock suddenly tore away from Uhura and stormed silently out the door. "Spock," Uhura called after him, her eyes wet with tears. "Spock!" She called again, louder, but Spock was already gone.

"Commander," Scotty stood up quickly, along with the rest of the crew when Spock appeared in the waiting room. "How is the lad?" He asked, but Spock didn't let up pace. "Mr. Spock?" Scotty asked, but Spock had already pushed through the doors. Uhura ran out from Kirk's room, reaching out to Spock, but she was already too late. Scotty looked to Uhura for answers, but he wasn't expecting to see the tears streaking down her face. The entire waiting room went silent as they all took it in.

/

"Father," Spock burst through the doors to the Vulcan Science Academy office on the San Francisco base.

"Spock," Sarek nodded to his son, standing up from his desk to greet him. "I heard what transpired at the ceremony. I wish to express my condolences, and to query about your condition." Spock continued forward, not breaking stride as he approached Sarek's desk. Sarek watched his son with masked concern as he drew closer.

"I need all the information that the Science Academy has on healers." Spock stopped steps from Sarek's desk, folding his hands neatly behind his back.

"Spock, I'm afraid that what you're asking for is not what you seek," Sarek said, carefully choosing his words. "The Science Academy has already published all useful methods of treatment and Starfleet is using all that it finds to be effective."

"I am asking for healers." Spock said firmly, his voice dangerously close to a snarl.

"I cannot help you," Sarek said quietly. Spock sucked in a deep breath and turned on his heel to leave, his anger building quickly. "However," Sarek called out to his son, and Spock stopped in his tracks. "I know someone that can." Sarek opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out a small tape. Spock stepped quickly to the desk. "Ambassador Spock left this for you. He requested that it be given to you only in case of an emergency." Sarek placed the tape gently into his son's outstreched hand. "Judging by your current demeanor, I would say that this constitutes as an emergency."

Spock stared at the tape in his hand with scrutiny. "Thank you, father." Spock said, remembering the words of his older self.He remembered how he had promised his younger counterpart that he would not meddle in his affairs. He sucked in a deep breath as he remembered him.

"Do with it what you will," Sarek took a seat gracefully again. Spock nodded and took quick steps towards the door. "And Spock," His father called out again, and Spock swiveled on his heel. "Live long and prosper," His father offered the Vulcan salute and Spock returned it.

"Live long and prosper, father."

/

Uhura sat in the waiting room with her fellow crew members, each of them staring at the ground, tears slowly leaking from their eyes. None of them could fathom what was happening to them. Flashes of their captain played through their heads as they watched the ground solemnly, none of them able to muster the strength to speak and comfort their fellow crew mates.

Spock burst through the doors, making a beeline for Kirk's room. "Spock!" Uhura called out to her boyfriend, standing up to meet him. He pushed forward as though he didn't hear her, but she stepped into his way, pushing her hands against his chest until he came to a stop. "Where the hell have you been?" She asked him, tears flowing freely from her eyes, but her voice unwavering.

"Show me to him, Spock." A young woman pushed through the main doors and into the waiting room. She wore a small fur top and tight fitting pants, and she twirled her jet back hair mindlessly as she stood in the doorway, her hip popped out seductively.

"Who the hell is she?" Uhura asked in disbelief.

"I'm here to heal your Captain." She smiled slyly at Uhura. Spock pushed his thoughts into Uhura's mind through their contact. _Please, trust me Nyota._ "Now, show me to him."

/

 _And the adventure begins! Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of it! As per usual, I don't have a beta reader, so please excuse my mistakes and be patient with my errors. Feeback, from constructive criticism to your thoughts on the story, is always welcome, so don't be afraid to leave a review! Thanks again for reading!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	2. Chapter 2

"Ah," The young woman twisted her hair in her fingers. "This poor man," She clicked her tongue and smiled. She brushed her fingers against Kirk's bruised face, stopping when she reached the oxygen mask covering his face.

"Can you heal him?" Spock asked impatiently, wringing his hands nervously behind his back.

The woman smiled at him seductively. "Do you have faith in my abilities?" She asked, taking a small, swaying step towards him.

"I have not yet reached a decision, as you have yet to prove your abilities." Spock snapped, his temper growing short. Uhura pulled gently on his arm, and his muscles relaxed slightly.

"Well," She huffed, a sly grin still spread across her face. "You shall soon see." She reached into the pelt bag around her waist and pulled out a small, squiggling root. Spock and Uhura stared at it in confusion as she moved it over Kirk's head.

"We should wait until Doctor McCoy gets back," Uhura pleaded, her eyes still glued to the root.

"I will do this now, or not at all." The woman shrugged, pulling the root back towards her bag.

"Now," Spock blurted. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. "You will do it now." He said, more calmly this time.

"As you wish." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a small, skin drum and handed it to Spock. "This is necessary to complete the ritual." Spock reluctantly accepted the drum and Uhura pulled on his arm slightly.

 _A ritual? Are you sure about this, Spock?_ Uhura's thoughts pushed into Spock's head.

 _It is the only choice we have, Nyota._ Spock let his thoughts move to Uhura's brain as he tapped on the drum with his hand.

"Good," The woman smiled at him and waved the root over Kirk's head again. "One more thing," The woman pulled a sleek knife from her pouch, and Spock instinctively reached for his phaser. "I need you to slice my palm." Spock and Nyota shared an uneasy glance. "Do you want this man to be healed?" The woman persisted and Spock gulped, then reluctantly accepted the knife. The woman held out her palm and Spock hesitantly slid the knife across her palm, releasing the crimson blood under her skin.

The woman smiled at him and tenderly placed the squirming root over a gash on Kirk's head. She began to wave her hands around the room, to the beat of Spock's drumming. She muttered gibberish about 'together' and 'souls' as Spock beat on the drum nervously. She slapped her hand on the root and Kirk's body began to seize slightly. Spock's heart skipped a beat as he watched, but the woman seemed unconcerned as she continued her ritual.

McCoy pushed the door to Kirk's room open slowly, a cup of coffee in his hand. "So," McCoy said, looking down at the clipboard in his hand. "We've only got-" He froze as heard the steady beat of the drum and looked up with a cocked eyebrow. "What the hell?!" He threw the coffee and clipboard into the air and rushed to tackle the woman, but Uhura stood in his path and held his arm back. "What the ever-loving _fuck_ is going on here?!" McCoy snarled as Uhura tried in vain to pull him back through the door. "Get away from him!" He growled as he tried to pry Uhura's hands off his arm.

"Doctor, this woman claims to have the ability to heal him," Spock said, feeling a nervous sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"And you just fucking _believed_ that?!" McCoy snapped as he took a few small steps forward, pulling against Uhura's weight.

"It has passed!" The woman cried out to the sky and fell to the floor, her body limp. Everyone in the room stood still, watching the events unfold. Silence filled the room as everyone was too petrified to move.

Suddenly, Kirk's chest filled with air and he began to choke on the tubes in his throat. "Jim?" McCoy snapped into action, throwing himself to Kirk's bedside and beginning to undo the machines shoved down his throat. "Spock, get her out of here!" McCoy ordered as he called in the med team to assist him. "Jim, I need you to stay calm." McCoy pleaded and Kirk's vibrantly blue eyes watched him with confusion.

Spock and Uhura rushed to pick up the woman and dragged her out of the room, each person grabbing an arm. They barely made it out before the med team swarmed the room.

"It's going to be okay, Jim." McCoy said soothingly as Kirk's heart started to race. "I promise."

/

"How is he, Doctor?" Spock asked, standing up quickly to meet the exhausted doctor. The entire crew in the waiting room stood up, each of their hearts beating rapidly with the anticipation.

"He's resting now." McCoy said through a twisted frown, his eyes peering through Spock's skull. "He should make a full recovery, save for the effects that that goddamn _witch_ might've brought on." McCoy snarled.

"Let's discuss this in a more private area." Uhura stepped in, her eyes darting from Spock to McCoy. McCoy kept his gaze on Spock as the Vulcan began to move towards the door to the hall. Uhura grabbed McCoy's arm gently and pulled him through the doors and into the hall.

"Doctor, before you-" Spock started.

"Where the _hell_ did she come from?" McCoy interrupted sharply, growling through clenched teeth. Spock opened his mouth to speak, but McCoy quickly shot him down again. "What the hell did she do to Jim? You don't even _know_ do you? You just fucking bring her in here, no clue what the hell she's capable of and -"

"Leonard, that's _enough._ " Uhura scolded McCoy and he hesitated for a second and turned his gaze on her, but a little more softly. "Let Spock explain." Uhura said firmly and turned to Spock, who was slightly taken aback by her commanding tone.

"The woman is a Kahn-ut-tu." Spock cleared his throat and spoke softly. "She is a member of the Hill People of the planet Neural, where she was trained to be a healer. I know not how, but her people have mastered the use of locally grown plants to aid in the healing process." Spock explained, and McCoy opened his mouth to speak. "I discovered her healing prowess through a tape that Ambassador Spock left, in case of an emergency."

McCoy fell silent, his muscles relaxing slightly at the mention of Ambassador Spock. The Vulcan had not steered them wrong when he was still with them. "This woman. I need to know what it is she does, how she does it, and what she wants from us." McCoy said stiffly, trying desperately not to lose his temper again.

"Those are fair demands, Doctor." Spock nodded slightly and Uhura breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, we'd better go-" Uhura started, but was cut off by a sharp beeping coming from McCoy's watch. McCoy swore under his breath and immediately took off down the hall, Uhura and Spock hot on his heels.

"Doctor, what is going on?" Spock asked as he caught up to McCoy.

"It's Jim," McCoy swore as he pushed through the doors. The startled crew jumped up at the sudden intrusion, but McCoy didn't let up pace. He burst through the doors to Kirk's room, only to be met with blaring alarms and an empty bed. "Goddammit." McCoy growled, then turned for the door. "Where the hell did he go?!" He yelled, searching around the room, only to find nothing.

Uhura and Spock shared a concerned glance and each went for the doors connecting Kirk's room to the adjacent rooms. Spock quietly opened the door and found the Kahn-ut-tu woman laying on her bed, her eyes sealed shut with slumber, and Kirk's weak and fragile form kneeling beside her bed, his hand wrapped tightly around the woman's.

"Doctor," Spock called back to McCoy, who came rushing to his side.

McCoy stared at the scene in confusion for a brief second before snapping himself back into reality. "Jim?" He asked, his voice just barely hovering above a whisper. "Jim," McCoy said, louder this time, as he took a step towards Kirk. He placed a soft hand on Kirk's shoulder and Kirk barely shifted under the touch. "Jim," McCoy pressed as he gently shook Kirk's shoulder.

Kirk's head slowly turned around and his eyes met McCoy's, cloudy and confused. "Bones?" He whispered hoarsely as his eyebrows knit together.

"It's me, Jim." McCoy said soothingly, helping the shaky man to his feet.

"Bones, what am I doing here?" Kirk asked quietly, looking around the room, and down at the hospital gown around his body. "What happened? I... I went up on stage and...and... oh God," Kirk shook his head and blinked his eyes quickly, before letting them meet McCoy's again. His once cloudy eyes were once again vibrant and filled with life. "Bones, all those people at the banquet," He said fearfully, all of the memories coming flooding back to him.

"They're alright, Jim." McCoy shifted his grip from Kirk's shoulder to under his arm, keeping him steadily upright. "There were no casualties."

"Oh my God," Kirk rubbed his head, closing his eyes tightly. "Who did it?" He asked quietly.

"We'll talk more later, Jim." McCoy insisted, gesturing towards the door. "You need to rest first."

"I feel fine, Bones." Kirk shook his head. "My head's just a little garbled." He admitted, looking around the room. His eyes caught on the slumbering woman, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Who the hell is this?"

"Ask Spock," McCoy raised an eyebrow and sighed. He tugged at Kirk and Kirk reluctantly walked with him back into the other room. Kirk noticed Spock in the hall and opened his mouth to speak, but McCoy stopped him. " _Later._ " He said, using his best parent voice.

Kirk hung his head as he walked with McCoy back to the room. His head was still a jumbled mess, his thoughts swimming around without anything to catch on.

"How am I still alive?" He asked as McCoy helped him back into the bed. "I... I remember the shrapnel in my stomach." He instinctively reached for his stomach, which was still heavily bandaged. McCoy tried to stop his hands from peeling back the thick bandages, but Kirk swatted his hands away. He pulled back the gauze to reveal smooth, untarnished skin below. "What the fuck?" He whispered, inspecting where he had expected the wound to be.

"That information will be disclosed to you at a later time, Jim. For now, you must rest and regain your strength." Spock said quietly, Uhura attatched to his arm in the doorway.

"For once, I agree with the half-breed." McCoy sighed, pulling the bandages back onto Kirk's skin and wrapping the covers around his shoulders. "I've got a million tests to run on you, but I need you to be a little stronger first." McCoy said quietly as he noticed Kirk's eyes beginning to close.

"Yeah," Kirk nodded slightly. "M'kay." He settled under the blankets, his eyes drooping shut.

"Get some sleep, Jim." McCoy said softly as he made his way to the doorway.

"Whatever you say, Bones." Kirk said quietly and McCoy shut the door softly behind him.

Kirk's eyes closed and he felt his body entering a deep sleep. Suddenly, it felt as though a siren went off in his head, jerking him awake again, his breathing heavy and his heart racing.

 _Fuck._ He thought, with a heavy sigh. _Something's not right._

/

 _Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and there's more to come... Things are just getting started..._

 _Anyway, feedback is always welcomed, and I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to review for your very sweet and thoughtful reviews. I really do appreciate them, and they motivate me to actually get stuff done :) Hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story! There's plenty of action and drama to come!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	3. Chapter 3

"Easy now, Jim." McCoy said gently as he helped Kirk ease off the treadmill. Kirk panted as he McCoy took his arm and the treadmill slowed to a stop.

Kirk didn't protest as McCoy helped him, perhaps a little more than he needed to, off the treadmill and back onto solid ground. Kirk's muscles burned slightly with the push of running at a low speed, his body still unsure of what had happened to him.

"How are you feeling, Jim?" McCoy asked, waving the tricorder over him again.

"Fine, Bones." Kirk said, as softly as he could muster it.

McCoy's lips curled into a slight frown. "Right," He said, rechecking the output that the tricorder gave him.

"So?" Kirk asked, looking McCoy in the eyes. "What's the verdict?"

McCoy paused, biting his lip. "Alright," He sighed heavily and slipped the tricorder back into his pack. "I'm clearing you for restricted duty. But don't think that I won't be monitoring you closely," He followed up sternly, guiding Kirk back to his room.

"Does this mean I get my PADD back?" Kirk jested as they approached his room again.

"Only if you promise me something," McCoy said, his voice unwavering.

"What's that?" Kirk asked, standing up slowly with the help of his bedside as McCoy hovered around him.

"You won't act like Jim Kirk about this," He reached for Kirk's civilian clothes on the dresser. "You'll tell me if anything, and I mean _anything_ feels off. Especially when it comes to that noggin of yours," McCoy tossed the stack of clothes to Kirk, who caught it without difficulty.

"I promise." Kirk smirked at his old friend, looking down at the clothes fondly. He was ready to escape.

"I mean _really_ promise." McCoy folded his arms across his chest and stared him down.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Kirk made an x on his chest with his finger and gave McCoy his most reassuring look.

"Yeah, you just _might_ if you don't tell me." McCoy scoffed, and Kirk chuckled. "Meet me outside of your room once you've changed."

"Will do, Bones." Kirk smiled widely, and McCoy shut the door softly behind him.

 _Finally._ He thought as he slipped his pants on his legs. _Time to get back on my feet._

/

"Here he comes, here he comes!" Chekov said, jumping around like a puppy that had just been let off his leash outside for the first time.

"Ok, everyone get down!" Uhura hissed and the entire crew hid behind the assorted tables and chairs around the room.

"You know you don't have to hover, Bones." Kirk chuckled as he pushed through the doors of the conference room. One of the crew members flicked on the lights and the room lit up, revealing all of the colored balloons and banners scattered around.

"Surprise!" Everyone jumped up from their hiding places, and Kirk stumbled backwards, nearly knocking over McCoy.

Kirk tried to catch his breath as he looked around and saw the décor, and his family surrounding him. "Jesus," He whispered and a smile crossed his lips.

"Welcome back, Jim." Scotty whapped Kirk across the back of the shoulder, sending him stumbling a step forward. McCoy gave Scotty a sharp look, but Kirk's smile only grew wider.

"Captain, it is pleasant to see you outside of the hospital." Spock nodded to his friend, his hands clasped behind his back. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Kirk scanning the room, for what he presumed to be for threats.

"It's good to be out of there," Kirk clapped Spock on the shoulder. "No offense, Bones."

"Yeah, _right._ " McCoy huffed, his arms crossed against his chest as he hid his joy.

"This is really too much, you guys," Kirk glanced around at all the banners again.

"It is only fit for a Captain," Spock said politely, but was nearly knocked over by Chekov shuffling in front of him.

"Keptin!" Chekov's exuberant voice brought more joy to Kirk. "Ve hawe somezhing for you," He pulled a certificate from behind him and presented it to Kirk, like a child would present artwork to their father.

Kirk took it in his hands by the corners and read the black print across the crème paper. "Best Starship Captain in the fleet," Kirk read and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Chekov," Kirk nodded to the young man, who beamed at him. "Now," Kirk lowered the certificate. "It's about time that I get back to being a Starship Captain," Kirk scouted out an empty table.

"Really? Working at a time like this?" Uhura asked, slipping her arm through Spock's.

"Well, last time I checked, someone planted a bomb and tried to kill me at an award ceremony," Kirk raised an eyebrow. "So yeah, now seems as good a time as any to work."

"Then I'm going to need a drink," McCoy sighed and headed off for the bar.

"Get me one too!" Kirk called to him.

"You're still on restricted duty!" McCoy said gruffly over his shoulder. Kirk waved a hand at him dismissively and turned his attention back to Spock.

"So, what do we know so far?" Kirk asked Spock, who led the group towards a vacated table.

"Well," Spock started, taking a seat and folding his hands on the table. "Starfleet security has taken up the case, but we are closely following it."

"Any leads so far?" Kirk asked, sitting down across the white clothed table.

"The bomb was expertly planted," Spock explained. "The only mishap occurred when you did not approach the podium in time for the bomb to be set off."

"So who knows enough about what they're doing to pull that off?" Kirk asked, his eyebrows knitting together in thought.

"Fragments of the bomb suggest that it was of Klingon origin." Uhura chimed in, sitting down next to Spock.

"Planting a bomb in the middle of an honorable ceremony? That doesn't sound very Klingon to me," Kirk mused.

"That is precisely what I suggested to the security masters, but they did not see it the same way." Spock said politely, trying to hide the agitation in his voice.

"Right," Kirk furrowed his brow, leaning forward towards the table, lost in thought. "So, who do we have that could be trying to frame the Klingons for something?" Kirk asked, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

"The possibilities are endless," Spock said, taking note of Kirk's behavior. He exchanged a worried glance with Uhura, whose hand instinctively reached for her communicator. "The Klingons have no shortage of enemies."

"But there's only a select slice of the Venn diagram of peoples that hate us, and peoples that hate the Klingons." Kirk sat up straight again, the wheels in his head turning quickly. Spock breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Find out where they overlap, and we've got a suspect."

"Once again, Captain, that is not a short list." Spock said, already running through all of the enemies of Starfleet that he could think of, and cross-matching them with enemies of the Klingons.

"But it's a lot shorter than listing everyone in the universe," Kirk shrugged and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You are also ruling out the possibility that the culprit could possibly have no relation to the Klingons and are merely pinning the crime on the most obvious criminal group."

"Someone like that wouldn't take the time to study Klingon weaponry. You know, unless they're a psychopath." Kirk stated. "Add those to the list."

Uhura rolled her eyes and smiled. It was good to have their captain back. McCoy waltzed over to the table, drink in hand.

"Causing trouble yet?" McCoy asked, taking his seat next to Kirk.

"I'm about to." Kirk stood up from the table. "Can I talk to you for a second, Spock?" He asked, and Spock raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

"Of course, Captain." Spock stammered after a brief second of silence while everyone waited for his answer.

"Great," Kirk smiled his usual smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He started off towards the door, and Spock stood up to follow him. McCoy grabbed Spock's arm as he passed through, stopping him

"Watch him. Tell me what he talks to you about." McCoy hissed into Spock's ear.

"Of course, Doctor." Spock nodded, and McCoy reluctantly relaxed his grip on the Vulcan's arm. Spock followed Kirk's footsteps, watching curiously as the young captain headed towards a door at the side of the room. Kirk slipped through the door and Spock followed close behind, shutting the door behind him. Kirk flipped on the lights, and a conference table and chairs, not unlike the ones on the Enterprise, became visible. Kirk took a seat around the table, and motioned for Spock to follow suit. Spock sat across from the Captain, who folded his hands on the tabletop.

"Alright, Spock." Kirk cleared his throat, his voice edged with almost undetectable fear. Fortunately for the Vulcan, he had spent enough time to learn Kirk's quirks and mannerisms. He could tell that the captain was afraid of something. "Tell me about the healer."

"Well," Spock sat up straighter, his heart beating faster and faster. "Ambassador Spock left a tape for me, describing a healer that could be contacted in an emergency-" Spock started, but Kirk put up a hand, interrupting him.

"No," Kirk let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I've already heard the McCoy-approved version of this story. Tell me the truth. Where did she come from?"

Spock stood silently for a second, then cleared his throat. "The woman is a Kahn-ut-tu healer from the planet Neural."

"And how'd you find her?" Kirk asked, rubbing his temple.

"I took a small vessel to the planet and asked for such a woman that Ambassador Spock described from his journeys." Spock continued.

"They just _hand_ her over to you?" Kirk asked, pushing his hair back and laying his hands back down on the table. "How'd you convince her to come with you?" Spock shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Spock," Kirk pressed.

"I promised to help her people to develop protection from the technologically advanced civilization waging war on her colony." Spock looked away from Kirk's eyes shamefully.

"Hang on," Kirk put up his hand. "Are you telling me that you violated the _prime directive_ to bring her here?" Kirk asked breathlessly, unsure of how to react.

"That is correct." Spock nodded after a brief silence. "But I will assure you that it _was_ the most logical decision. I suspect foul play from the warring civilization. It seems as though a third party is involved."

"Oh my God, Spock." Kirk breathed. He sat in stunned silence as the Vulcan sat up straighter, his resolve growing. "So," He started and shook his head. "So, what kind of powers does this woman have? What the hell did she _do_ to me?" He asked, remembering the sharp pain in his skull from before.

"I am unsure, Captain, as I have yet to thoroughly interrogate her." Spock answered quickly.

"You have yet to – you know what? Forget it," Kirk shook his head and stood up from the table. "I'm going to question her myself. Then we're shipping her ass _home_."

"And what of the promise that I made to her?" Spock asked, standing up with his captain.

"God," Kirk let out a frustrated sigh. "We'll head out there, poke around for ourselves and see what's going on. If there is a third party involved, we'll intervene. If not, well, I don't know yet. We'll figure it out as we go." He started out of the room, moving quickly and forcefully.

"Perhaps we should keep the woman here a little while longer, Captain." Spock said and Kirk hesitated slightly. "She could provide us with useful data on alternative treatments to injury. Perhaps advance the medical field exponentially."

Kirk's movements faltered slightly, and he stopped for a brief second, then held his head. "No," He insisted, shaking his head again. "No, we'd better just get her home. _Before_ Starfleet finds out what you did."

 _Strange,_ Spock thought, then followed his captain through the doors and back to the party.

/

 _Sorry for the slow progress on this story and the less-than-thrilling chapter, but I promise that I'm going somewhere with this. I hope you'll stick around for more adventure and action to come! Thanks for reading, and as always, feedback is appreciated. I promise I'll keep trucking along, slowly but surely!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jim?" McCoy asked, walking warily behind the captain as they neared the cell.

"Yeah, Bones." Kirk shrugged, not looking back. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing-" McCoy lied through his teeth. "I'm just worried about you, is all."

"Aren't you always?" Kirk asked, turning his head and smirking at the doctor.

He swung open the door and revealed the woman sitting at a table, Spock sitting directly across from her. Spock turned his head as Kirk approached, and quickly stood up and offered him his seat. Kirk waved him off and sat down, the woman smiling seductively at him the entire time. A small twinge in the back of his brain throbbed, but he quickly pushed it away.

"So," Kirk folded his hands neatly on the table. "You're a Kahn-ut-tu healer?" He asked, and she nodded slowly.

"I am Luna," The woman stated, in her typical grandiose manner. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain Kirk." She smiled and Kirk felt the biting in the back of his head once again, but he pushed it away.

"I've got some questions to ask you, if that's alright with you." He cleared his throat.

"Anything for you, Jim." The woman folded her hands on the table in the same manner as Kirk's, but more loosely and welcoming.

"It's Captain Kirk," Kirk said stiffly. "I want to ask you about your healing methods, first and foremost." Kirk sat up straighter.

"I believe that I have already explained my ways to Mr. Spock," The woman smiled, somewhat impatiently. "Well, as well as I can for someone unfamiliar with my people's ways."

"Right, but I want to ask you about the side affects." Kirk persisted and the woman's smile began to curve into a frown.

"There are no side affects of being healed," The woman shrugged and the smile returned to her lips. "Of course, there is the _legend_."

"The legend?" McCoy asked from where he was leaning on the doorframe. The woman laughed quietly, then brushed back her silken hair from her face.

"The healing process is an...intimate ceremony," The woman explained. "When I make contact with you, our souls pass through the root, and they intwine," She said, and Kirk stiffened slightly. "It is how I convince your body to heal itself, of course. However, there is a legend that once healed by a Kahn-ut-tu woman, you will be unable to resist their call," She smiled, her eyes piercing Kirk's. "But I'm sure that a man like yourself doesn't believe in legends, now do you?"

"Some legends aren't legends at all," Kirk cleared his throat and slunk his hands off the top of the table. "But I'm not exactly going to make that judgment now."

"Then what _do_ you plan to do now, Captain?" The woman asked, tilting her head curiously.

"I'm going to return you to your planet, where you won't speak of this incident ever again," Kirk said as he stood up from the desk. "Are we clear?" He stared directly into her eyes and she smirked at him.

"Once you and your allies make good on your end of the deal, you will never hear from me again." The woman shrugged. "You _do_ plan on following through with your promise, don't you, Captain?" Kirk flinched slightly at her words and McCoy instinctively reached for his tricorder, but slowly let his hands slip away as Spock shot him a confused glance.

"The ship's leaving in two hours." Kirk said sternly and walked out of the room, McCoy and Spock hot on his heels.

"Jim," McCoy snapped as the door shut behind them as he and Spock struggled to match Kirk's vigorous speed. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what, Bones?" Kirk asked, continuing forward, unrelenting.

"That flinch! When she asked you what you were going to do," McCoy hissed, stepping quickly down the long linoleum hall.

"I have no idea what you were talking about," Kirk shrugged. "You're being paranoid, Bones." He stopped at the door at the end of the dimly lit hall, the bright red exit sign hanging above it. He swiveled on his heel to face his friends. "Be ready to go in an hour and a half. I'm going to go get us a transport, off the books." He patted McCoy on the shoulder and quickly slipped out the door.

"Perhaps the Captain is correct," Spock cleared his throat after a long and confused silence between the two remaining men.

"The hell do you mean?" McCoy hissed, snapping out of the trance and turning his attention to Spock. "You're telling me that you didn't see that in there?"

"No," Spock assured him. "I am simply stating that perhaps the reaction of the Captain was purely coincidental."

"You don't think that witch has got his mind on lock down?" McCoy threw his hands out. "The man didn't argue when she asked him about 'following up' on his end of the bargain. He just walked away. I've seen that man argue the green off an Orion. It's not like him to just _walk_ away like that."

"The Captain could be suffering from trauma from the ritual," Spock admitted. "It is likely that the transference of energy between him and the Kahn-ut-tu has left scars on his mind, that he perhaps is not even aware of."

"That's _exactly_ what I'm worried about," McCoy let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what that woman is capable of," He rubbed his neck. "She could very well have left a mark on his brain and be _controlling_ him."

"That seems most illogical," Spock raised an eyebrow.

"You heard her, she said that it's in their lore that the person she heals can't resist her call. Sure as hell sounds like mind control to me," McCoy crossed his arms against his chest.

"What's lore is lore," Spock tried to reassure the doctor. "It cannot be proven without evidence. We must monitor the Captain's condition, but as of now, we have no definitive evidence proving the legends."

"Yeah," McCoy grumbled. "You'd better be right about this, you pointy-eared bastard."

/

"All set?" Kirk asked behind his shoulder.

"Affirmative, Captain." Spock called up to the front of the small craft. The Kahn-ut-tu woman stood at his side, looking around the ship curiously.

"Right then," Kirk sighed and unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat. He stood up and faced the woman, leaning against the back of the chair. "We're going to beam down to the surface of your planet, and we're going to poke around, make sure that this 'warring nation' isn't playing fair, and decide just what weaponry exactly we're going to supply you with."

"That wasn't our deal, Captain." The woman insisted, her face twisting into a frown as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh no, it still is," Kirk shrugged. "Just renegotiated." He smirked at the woman and motioned for Spock to take the pilot's seat. He sashayed over to the bins and pulled a pelt outfit from inside of it. He threw some of the garb at McCoy and slipped off his shirt, replacing it with the pelt. McCoy followed his lead, more uncomfortably.

"Alright," Kirk sighed as he stood next to the woman and McCoy. "Beam us down, Spock."

"Aye, Captain." Spock pressed a button on the console and the crew disappeared from inside the small carrier ship.

/

Kirk felt the familiar fuzzy feeling of his atoms rearranging themselves as he materialized on the planet's surface. His sight slowly returned to him, and desert plains filled his vision, the light flooding in his eyes. He moved his arm up to shield them as he looked around the desert, the small, scattered tree clusters dotting the scene.

"So," He continued scanning the area. "This is Neural?"

"It is indeed, Captain," The woman smiled.

"Well it looks like _paradise._ " McCoy scoffed as he patted the medkit on his side.

"Come, I'll show you to the enemy base." The woman took Kirk's arm and trotted up the rocky terrain. Kirk reluctantly moved his feet as she tugged on his arm. McCoy stuck close behind, climbing up the boulder after them. As they reached the peak, the three overlooked the valley below, which was filled with a military-like bunker, the mud frame keeping it hidden from a distant onlooker. Kirk peered at the camp as he watched a few soldiers appear from inside the bunker, each of the carrying a flintlock rifle.

"Huh," He breathed as he continued to watch. "What'd Spock say about the development of this planet again?"

"That they aren't very far along yet. Certainly not _this_ far along." McCoy answered, watching the soldiers do their rounds.

"So you see?" The woman asked, her excitement pouring over into her words. "We need to retaliate!"

"The Hill People are a peaceful people," Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, anyway."

"We can no longer sit idly by as these tyrants _slaughter_ us and we are left defenseless!" The woman hissed at Kirk, who cowered away slightly.

"Listen," Kirk started, sliding back down the rock slightly, to avoid being seen. "I'm not saying that what's going on here is right. But that doesn't mean that I can intervene," He explained. "To do that, I'll have to file a full report with Starfleet. We don't have enough back-up to storm in there on our own an get to the bottom of things."

"There is no need for back-up when you have the technology of the gods at your fingertips!" The woman protested, pointing at Kirk's bag. "You surely have something that could overwhelm our enemies!"

"That doesn't mean that I should use it." Kirk shrugged. "We've got this thing in Starfleet called the 'Prime Directive'. Me just _being_ here violates that. I can't mess with your civilization's growth unless there is definitive proof of something sketchy going on here, and even then, it's kinda a gray area. To give you any power too quickly can be extremely dangerous. It could lead to the destruction of your entire race."

"No!" The woman yelled. "We had a deal, Captain Kirk!"

"Alright," Kirk lifted a hand to calm her down. "Listen. I can give you the same guns that you have, but nothing more. Then I'll come back with Starfleet and get to the bottom of this. Does that work for you?" McCoy stared in disbelief as he watched Kirk speak.

"That is less than pleasurable," The woman's face twisted into a frown.

"Well, that's all I can give you." Kirk shrugged. "I'm sorry," He said as he pulled out his communicator. "We can get you your guns in a week, at best. They just don't make them like that anymore." He flipped open the tricorder. "Spock? Beam us up."

"Wait!" The woman cried out as McCoy and Kirk de-materialized in front of her eyes. "Curse you, Captain!" The woman huffed and stared at the spot that they disappeared from. "If you will not do something, then I _will_." She scurried up the mountain again and shuffled quickly down the other side. The guards raised their weapons at her and she threw up her hands in surrender, but continued moving forward slowly.

"Freeze, Kahn-ut-tu!" One of the guards barked.

"I come in peace," She insisted, sliding to the bottom of the hill. "Take me to the outsiders." The guards lowered their weapons slightly and shared a confused glance. After an awkward second, one of the guards lowered their weapon and motioned for her to follow.

"Come with us," The guard disappeared inside the bunker, and the woman swaggered close behind, a smug smile spread across her face. She followed him down the dark and narrow halls until they reached an ornate door, decorated in gold leaf and intricate carvings. The guard pushed through the door and motioned inside. The Kahn-ut-tu took a deep breath and stepped through, and came face to face with a Klingon general sitting atop an extravagant throne, bedecked with jewels and riches, his own body covered in a lavish robe, but his forehead still showing the distinctive Klingon marks.

"A Kahn-ut-tu woman," The Klingon's lips curled over his teeth as he smiled at the visitor. "A rare and beautiful treat," He stood up slowly from his throne and took a few slow and pronounced steps in her direction. "What brings you here?" He asked, placing a hand gently on her cheek and brushing her hair from her face. She stood stiffly as he stared into her eyes.

"I have been approached by outsiders, such as yourself." She said firmly and the Klingon raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He asked, still too distracted by her beauty to pay much attention to her words.

"They brought me back to their home planet, I believe it is called Earth?" She said and the Klingon's muscles tensed. His hand dropped from the side of her face and his expression hardened. "They had me heal their Captain. James Tiberius Kirk," The woman said and the Klingon's eyes sparkled. "They made a deal to help my tribe, but it is a promise that I don't believe that they intend on fulfilling."

"My dear, such is the way with most outsiders. You must be careful who to trust," He took a step back and motioned to his second in command, who was standing at the side of the room. "I am glad that you came to me with this information, but I don't know why you did." The second in command stood by the Klingon general's side, patiently awaiting an order.

"I want revenge." She said, with fire in her eyes. "I hope that my people's quarrel with you can be resolved as we fight this common enemy."

"That it will, my dear." The Klingon smiled and ran his fingers through the woman's hair. "We will formulate a plan, but it will involve you making your stay on Earth and gathering intelligence. You see, Starfleet has slaughtered our people and gone against our promises. We need to learn how to destroy them, but we can only do that with you on the inside."

"I have a way to secure passage," The woman smirked. "We will not stand for treachery and deceit."

/

Uhura swished the wine around in her glass slightly, watching the deep purple coat the sides of the glass. She plopped down on the couch of her and Spock's quarters, grabbing the remote from the small end table as she did. Tucking her feet up on the couch, she brought the TV to life.

"Spock," Ambassador Spock's face appeared on the screen. Uhura sighed and stood up. _How many times do I have to tell the man to switch the tapes when he's done with them?_ She grumbled as she reached for the player. "These healers can do miraculous things, but please heed my warning." Ambassador Spock said, and Uhura's hand hovered over the player. "These women are not to be trusted. They are able to manipulate the minds of whoever they heal, but they do not often do so. They have the capacity to be very dangerous. Do not provoke them, and only employ their services when absolutely necessary."

"Oh my God," Uhura breathed, stepping away from the player. _That idiot never finished the tape! I've got to warn them!_

/

"What is our next course of action?" Spock asked from the co-pilot's seat, next to Kirk.

"We give them the flintlocks," Kirk sighed. "Even the playing field. But we can't let Starfleet know. They'll know we've intervened." Kirk rubbed his head. "We're just asking for a court martial if we do that, and now we don't have any allies on the council. We go back after we get re-instated on our mission. Then we figure out just what the hell is going on there."

"Do you really think that'll work, Jim?" McCoy asked, his hands tightly curled around the seat belt strapping him to the seat behind Kirk.

"We've got no other choice," Kirk shrugged, rubbing his temple. A wave of pain suddenly washed over his body, but he pushed it down deep.

"Who do you think is behind enabling the Hill People's adversaries?" Spock asked, taking a second to look away from the screen and turn his attention to Kirk.

"Not sure," Kirk admitted, his head beginning to pulse. "But I know that it's bad news."

"Do you think it has anything to do with whoever planted the bomb?" McCoy asked, and Kirk gripped his head as the pain started growing stronger.

"That'd be too.. too coincidental," Kirk said, pain edging his voice. His eyes shut tight as his head throbbed and felt as though it were going to burst at the seams.

"Jim?" McCoy asked, trying to peer around the chair. "Are you alright?" He asked and Spock's head snapped in Kirk's direction. Kirk was hunched over the console, his hands gripped tightly around his head.

"Doctor, something is wrong," Spock threw off the seat belt over his chest and stood up frantically.

"Jim!" McCoy yelled as he jumped out of his chair. Kirk cried out in pain through gritted teeth as he fought against the overwhelming pain. It felt as though someone had taken a jackhammer and was pressing it against his skull, his thoughts jumbled and broken. "Jim, talk to me," McCoy pleaded as he whipped out his tricorder.

Kirk moaned in response, his hands closing tighter over his skull.

" _Shit_." McCoy muttered as he watched the readings appear on his tricorder. "Spock, we've gotta get back to Earth, and _fast._ " He commanded as he grabbed Kirk's armpit and helped him up, pulling him out of the pilot's chair. Kirk's legs tried to support his weight as McCoy dragged him towards the back of the ship. Spock quickly slid into the pilot's seat and readjusted the controls, sending them hurdling through space even faster.

McCoy laid Kirk out on the floor of the ship, letting his head rest on the pelt clothing from Neural. Kirk screamed in anguish, his hands still curled tightly around his head.

"Spock, get us out of here!" McCoy yelled over Kirk's screaming, placing a comforting hand on the younger man's chest.

Spock's communicator suddenly beeped to life and Spock quickly snapped it open. "Uhura to Spock," Uhura's panicked voice came over the communicator.

"Spock, we don't have time to have a talk with your girlfriend!" McCoy barked as he pulled a hypo from his medkit.

"Spock here," Spock said, ignoring McCoy. His fingers raced across the panel, trying to make the ship go even faster.

"Spock, the witch! She can control Kirk's mind!" Uhura explained, her voice wavering as she heard Kirk's anguished cries. "Ambassador Spock said so on the rest of the tape!"

"You didn't _finish_ the damned tape?!" McCoy yelled as he pushed the hypo into Kirk's chest.

"I did not have time, I had to act," Spock responded, his voice shaking slightly as he desperately tried to cover up his shame. He grabbed the ship's yoke and the ship jerked suddenly to the right, sending McCoy and Kirk sliding, nearly into the wall of the ship.

"Spock, what the FUCK!" McCoy yelled as he struggled to regain his balance.

"We must turn around and go back to Neural." Spock explained, trying to keep his calm.

"Why the hell would we do that?!" McCoy checked Kirk's spiking vitals once more as the Captain continued to cry out.

"It is obvious that the Kahn-ut-tu is trying to send us a message," Spock punched the speed and the ship rocketed forward. "The Captain will die if we do not comply."

/

 _Extra long chapter! I've got to say, I'm kind of disappointed at how this is turning out. I had such good plans for this story :(. Anyway, I'm going to keep writing and hope things get better, and I hope that you'll stick around and keep reading. Thanks for reading this far :)_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	5. Chapter 5

"Hang on, Jim." McCoy cooed as he rubbed his hand comfortingly on Kirk's shoulder. Kirk gritted his teeth in agony, his skull seemingly splitting with every beat of his heart.

"We will be back at the planet in 2 minutes, Doctor." Spock called over his shoulder.

"D-Don't," Kirk spat as he tried to roll over, but McCoy kept him anchored to the spot.

"Why not?" McCoy pressed, trying to calm the squirming Kirk. "What's that bitch trying to tell you?!"

"'S using... me..." Kirk pushed McCoy's hand off his shoulder and managed to pull himself onto his knees, still clutching his head tightly.

"I know Jim, but we can fix this," McCoy put his hand on Kirk's back, keeping him from tipping over. "But not if you're dead."

"Th-the outsiders," Kirk hissed, his eyes shut tightly. "C-could be threat."

"That's a chance we're going to have to take," McCoy gently tried to guide Kirk back to the ground, but Kirk wouldn't budge.

"Go." Kirk said, as firmly as he could. "Safety..." He trailed off as McCoy pushed a hypo into his shoulder and his muscles relaxed. McCoy guided him to the floor as he nearly faded out of consciousness. His pained cries subsided as the drowsiness set in. McCoy whipped out his tricorder and waved it over Kirk, frowning at the results. The captain was still in immense pain.

"Thirty seconds, Doctor. Prepare to take control of the vessel." Spock unbuckled himself as the planet came into view.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" McCoy asked, watching as Spock made his way to the back of the ship, pulling his phaser from his belt.

"I am the reason that we are in this situation. I intend on making things right." Spock said, readying the transporter.

"Wait," McCoy protested, but Spock began to fade into thin air. "We could've talked this out, but _no_." McCoy grumbled.

/

The Kahn-ut-tu woman sat on the hilltop, her legs folded neatly beneath her, waiting patiently. A smile crossed her face as she watched the strange alien man, known as Spock, appear in a cloud of sparkles before her.

"Luna," Spock fully materialized on the planet and pointed the phaser at the woman. "You will stop harming the Captain." He said forcefully.

"Then you will give me what I want," She shrugged and twirled her jet black hair in her fingers.

"You heard the Captain's terms, I assume. I intend on seeing them through." Spock said stiffly.

"The terms that he had were not our deal," the woman's words bit as she stood up slowly. "After all, it wasn't the Captain's deal to make in the first place," She waltzed over to Spock and touched his shoulder lightly, walking around him seductively. Spock stood rooted to his spot, standing rigidly as she touched him. "I believe this deal was made between you and I."

"Indeed it was," Spock said, uncomfortably. "However I have changed my terms to match the Captain's demands."

"Very well," The woman sighed. "I have changed my terms as well. I will not surrender my hold of the Captain's mind until you have returned here to my planet with the weapons that were promised. And furthermore, I demand to be brought back to your planet and oversee the production of those weapons."

"I cannot agree to those terms. Your very presence on Earth endangers not only my career, but also the Captain's." Spock attempted to reason with the woman.

"Do you know how fragile the mind truly is, Mister Spock?" The woman asked, staring up at the sky. "Do you understand how little it takes to break a man?" She asked, holding up her thumb and index finger, ready to snap. "It could be over, just like that." She snapped her fingers and Spock flinched slightly. "I presume that you want the Captain to remain alive and well?" Spock sat in silence. "I highly recommend you agree to my terms."

"I could end your life right here, right now." Spock growled, his phaser trained on the woman.

"Oh please, Mr. Spock. You and I both know that you wouldn't do that." She smirked.

"And why is that? You are threatening my Captain, to whom it is my duty to protect." Spock wavered slightly, his finger hovering over the trigger.

"Because you could never harm an unarmed woman," The woman sneered. "Nor would it be in your best interest. Threaten me again, and I will damage your Captain in more ways than you can imagine." The woman pushed Spock's phaser down, and he hesitantly let her. "Now, I believe we have a ship to get back to."

/

"How are you feeling, Jim?" Kirk heard McCoy's voice say distantly. He groggily opened his drooping eyes to see McCoy hovering over him again, the all-to-familiar medical ward ceiling above him.

"Damn," Kirk grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "How long have I been out?"

"A couple of hours," McCoy answered, looking up at the biobed readings. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Kirk admitted, sitting up in his bed, under McCoy's wary watch.

"No headaches?" McCoy asked.

"No," Kirk shook his head and frowned. "We're back on Earth?" He asked, looking around.

"Spock brought us back," McCoy's lips curled into a frown.

"And the Kahn-ut-tu?" Kirk asked. McCoy refused to meet his eyes. "Bones," Kirk warned, his tone growing close to 'I'm the captain and you'd better do as I say'.

"She's staying in a hotel just outside of town. Off the records. We've got some security teams watching her closely." McCoy sighed, watching Kirk's vitals spike with the news.

" _Shit._ " He rubbed his head. "Why didn't we just leave her on the planet?"

"She threatened to kill you, Jim." McCoy said, somewhat defensively. "We had to do what she told us."

"You didn't have to do _shit._ " Kirk grumbled as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. McCoy opened his mouth to protest, but Kirk put up his hand, stopping him. "You've always got a choice, Bones."

"What was I supposed to do?" McCoy hissed. "Let you _die_?"

"Yeah, maybe." Kirk shouted back and McCoy fell into a stunned silence. "It sure as hell would've kept you guys from being wrapped around her little finger."

"I don't give a _fuck_ what she tells me to do. All I care about is that you're still alive and kicking," McCoy shouted back at Kirk. "We'll figure the rest out as we go."

"I can't ask you to do that, Bones." Kirk sighed, staring into McCoy's eyes, the vibrant blue of his irises clouded with anger and confusion.

"Good thing I don't need your permission." McCoy sneered. Kirk lowered his head in defeat, looking down at his feet hanging over the biobed.

Kirk shook his head and his eyes locked on McCoy, but it was a much softer glance. "We've got to roll with the punches now, I guess," He sighed. "We've got to find out who planted the bomb."

"And in the mean time, you're going to stay as far away from that witch as you can, you understand me?" McCoy warned.

"Yeah," Kirk muttered quietly. "What the hell does she want here, anyway?"

"She wants to supervise the weapon making," McCoy shrugged. "Spock told her that she wasn't allowed to see how we made the weapons, and she was alright with that, so I don't know why she's here keeping watch. I guess she wants to make sure that we're not trying to snake out of our deal."

"No," Kirk shook his head. "Something else is going on. I can't quite put my finger on it-" Kirk froze as a small pang at the back of his head started to flare up.

"Jim?" McCoy asked, his eyes shooting up to the biobed readings. A small spike in the pain indicator, but nothing more. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kirk reassured his friend and turned his attention back to him. "What was I saying?"

"Something about the Kahn-ut-tu and the weapons," McCoy raised an eyebrow as he watched the young captain cautiously.

"Right," Kirk shook his head. "She's got some other reason for watching, but I can't quite place-" Kirk was interrupted by his entire world being consumed by a strange white light.

/

Kirk blinked and he realized that the engulfing light wasn't just a flash - it was a vision. He blinked again and saw the faint horizon line before him, where the light met the gray of the ground. He found himself surrounded by this open space, the strange white light no longer burning his eyes, but filling him with a calm and secure feeling. He watched the space around him pulse rhythmically, and he suddenly felt at peace.

"Jim," Kirk's eyebrows furrowed as he heard his name. He swiveled around quickly and saw the Kahn-ut-tu woman sitting behind him, seemingly floating on nothingness and staring at something ahead. "Jim!" He heard his name again, the voice growing more desperate. He took one last look at the woman and let the voice tear him away from his trance.

/

"Jim, talk to me!" McCoy yelled as he grabbed Kirk's shoulders and stared into his lifeless eyes. Kirk suddenly sucked in a deep breath and blinked hard. McCoy breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the light return to Kirk's eyes.

"Bones?" Kirk asked, his face scrunched up with confusion.

"Jim," McCoy breathed, helping the dazed Kirk lay back down on the bed. "What happened?" He asked quietly as he guided the man back down to his pillow.

"I-I don't know..." Kirk admitted, blinking wildly. "I," Kirk's eyes locked on McCoy's. " _Bones_?" Kirk whispered, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm here, Jim," McCoy held onto Kirk's shoulders comfortingly.

"What the hell just happened?" Kirk tried to sit up, but McCoy held him down.

"You just _blanked_ out for a few seconds," McCoy explained, struggling to keep the squirming captain in place. "It's like you, I don't know, _left_ or something," McCoy huffed as he pushed down on Kirk's shoulders.

"Bones, let me go, I'm _fine._ " Kirk smacked at McCoy's hands. "I didn't go anywhere. I just - I don't know, I just _saw_ something, I think." Kirk explained and McCoy relaxed his grip.

"What did you see?" McCoy asked breathlessly as he watched Kirk sit up.

"I don't know," Kirk shrugged. "I was surrounded by this... light. It's like I was _everywhere_ and nowhere, all at once," He paused. "But I wasn't scared. I know I should've been, but I just _wasn't._ " Kirk rubbed his head.

"Did you see anything else?" McCoy asked softly.

"Yeah," Kirk nodded slowly. "That Kahn-ut-tu woman. She was...she was just sitting there. She wasn't looking at me, she was just _sitting._ " Kirk shook it off. "I don't know what happened."

"It's alright, Jim," McCoy cooed and reached out to touch Kirk's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Bones. I already told you," Kirk swatted his hand away. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"

"It just seems like that woman's getting to you," McCoy said comfortingly. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you,"

"What do you mean she's 'getting to me'?" Kirk asked. "You don't think I'm going crazy, do you?"

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that this has to be mentally taxing-"

"You _do_ think I'm going crazy!" Kirk gaped. "I'm not, Bones. I'm _fine._ " Kirk protested. "I promise."

"I don't doubt that you are, I'm just-" McCoy was interrupted by the beeping of his communicator. Kirk looked expectantly at it, and McCoy rolled his eyes and reluctantly picked it up. "McCoy," McCoy sighed into the communicator.

"Spock here," Spock's voice called over the communicator. "The Kahn-ut-tu woman is requesting that Captain Kirk join us in the weapons facility."

"Spock, I really don't think that's a great idea," McCoy warned as he glanced over at Kirk.

"She is not asking," Spock said back, and even McCoy could detect the urgency in his voice.

"Right," McCoy grumbled. "We'll be there in ten minutes." He shut the communicator and slipped it back into his belt. "Get ready to go." He shook his head at Kirk. "We're not going to be there long."

/

 _At long last, a wild chapter appeared! Sorry about the wait, but I think I'm finally going to be able to turn this story around. Thanks for sticking with me this far, and I hope you'll hang around for the rest of the story with a little bit of your wonderful patience :). Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Kirk muttered as he and McCoy walked briskly towards the city transport craft.

"Yeah, it's not my idea of a good time, either," McCoy grumbled, following closely behind Kirk. The two men pushed through the crowds of people until they reached the bus stop. "I'd rather have you sitting in that biobed all day, if I could."

"I know, I know," Kirk laughed a little as the doors of the hoverbus slid open and the people flooded inside. "But we've got shit to do," Kirk called over his shoulder as they made their way towards the back of the bus. People shoved their way through the crowded bus and soon all of the dingy cloth clad seats were no longer vacant. Kirk sighed and grabbed a hanging loop from above and held on tight.

"I can only _imagine_ what kind of complaints she has," McCoy rolled his eyes as he watched the passengers on the bus slowly start to recognize Kirk's face. They began to point at him, trying to be subtle, but McCoy knew that the young captain had noticed. He simply stared straight ahead out the windshield of the bus.

Suddenly, the bus jerked to a stop, sending all of the passengers lurching forward. "What the hell?" Kirk asked as he elbowed is way back to a standing position. The doors of the bus slid open again and Kirk could barely make out one of the Starfleet patrol officer's helmets poking out of the doorway. People began to part and Kirk's heart skipped a beat. _They can't be coming here for me, right?_ He swallowed hard as the officer continued towards the back of the bus. His eyes met Kirk's and he suddenly stopped.

"Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy. Please come with me." The officer said harshly and motioned to the door. McCoy and Kirk shared a concerned look before pushing through the concerned onlookers.

"Can I ask what this is about, officer?" Kirk asked once they were clear of the bus.

"Admiral Henyar wishes to speak with you." The officer said curtly as he continued forward, making his way to his patrol car.

"He couldn't call my communicator?" Kirk asked. _That's what they're for, after all._ He held back.

"He asked that I directly escort you to his office." The officer responded, opening the back door for McCoy and Kirk. McCoy hesitantly ducked inside and Kirk followed.

"He tell you why?" McCoy asked as he and Kirk buckled themselves in.

"Only to escort you." The officer shrugged as he put the car into gear and they sped off onto the street.

McCoy and Kirk shared another glance as they whizzed through the streets. _I wish we could do that weird Uhura-Spock telepathic thing right now,_ Kirk thought to himself and sighed. _But I bet he's probably just swearing in his head right now, cussing Spock out._

 _What the fuck, Spock._ McCoy's thoughts raced. _How the hell did you get us into this situation?_

The ride to the Admiral's office seemed longer than it ever had to the two men. They sat in silence as they began to slow and move to the side of the road.

"You gonna take us up there too?" Kirk asked as he unlatched the seat belt.

"I'm going to escort you." The office said sharply as he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him.

"You think they have to pass a test certifying that they have no personality to get on the force?" Kirk asked and McCoy rolled his eyes and stepped out of the car. "I've got to say," Kirk said sarcastically as the officer led them inside the enormous building. "This is not exactly how things are usually done with Starfleet. This raise any red flags for you?"

"I'm not here to ask questions, just follow orders." The officer answered dryly. Kirk threw his hands out and looked at McCoy, who whacked him across the back of the head.

The three men made their way through the building swiftly, walking through the halls in awkward silence, and standing in the elevator in even more awkward silence. They finally reached Admiral Henyar's office, and the officer pushed the door open and motioned them inside. Kirk stepped through first, taking a deep breath and raising his captainly bravado. McCoy followed him, his trademark frown spread across his face.

"Captain Kirk?" The Admiral's secretary asked from behind his desk. "The Admiral will see you now," He said and pushed a buzzer, unlocking the Admiral's door. Kirk glanced one last time at McCoy and winked at him, exuding false confidence.

"Captain Kirk," Admiral Henyar sighed as the two men stepped through the door. "Doctor McCoy. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Captain Kirk alone for a minute." McCoy and Kirk exchanged another look before McCoy hesitantly turned to leave. He pointed at his watch as he left. "Please have a seat." The Admiral motioned to the chair in front of his desk as the door shut behind McCoy.

"Any particular reason we've been called to the principal's office by your guard dog?" Kirk asked as he sat down in the plush seat.

"I was going to get to that, yes," The Admiral rubbed his temples. "Captain, is there any particular reason that some of your crew members were seen landing an unauthorized vehicle this afternoon?" Kirk froze for a second.

"Pardon?" Kirk asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"A team of drilling officers claimed that they saw Mr. Spock exiting an unmarked ship earlier this afternoon," The Admiral folded his hands on his desk. "And yes, they were sure that it was him. It's hard to mistake a Vulcan."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kirk feigned confusion and started to shift to stand up. "I'll talk to Spock and see what's going on, then report back to-"

"Not so fast," The Admiral interrupted and motioned for Kirk to sit again. Kirk reluctantly did. "I was confused and concerned by this allegation, so I followed up. I checked the lists. I scanned security footage that was nearly wiped clean for some reason?" The Admiral continued and Kirk's heart sunk. "It all leads back to you, Captain," The Admiral leaned forward. "So I'll give you one more chance. You want to explain why your First Officer took that woman from Neural, then you left with her, and came right back with her? You want to explain why you're hiding her?"

"Shit," Kirk sighed after a long pause. He shook his head. "This isn't the way things were supposed to go down."

"I would hope not," The Admiral scoffed.

"The woman. She's a Kahn-ut-tu healer from the planet Neural. I had told Spock a long time ago that his old Spock self told me about this healer during one of my many hospital stays," Kirk spoke with his hands. "He said that one day I'm probably going to need a good fix-up, and that's who I should call. Anyway, I told Spock that if worst comes to worst, he should go and grab a Kahn-ut-tu if I ever get in a bad enough situation. Well, the time came after that bombing. Spock was just following my orders by bringing her back."

"So you are aware that extracting her is directly violating the prime directive?" The Admiral asked.

"Yeah," Kirk sighed and shrugged. "But what else could I do? I was going to die." Kirk tried to convince himself and the Admiral at the same time.

"That's a risky move, Kirk." The Admiral shook his head. "Now, you want to tell me why you and your crew are slinking around with her still?"

"Her healing, well, it came with a price. She's got, I guess, a kind of hold on my brain. She's using that to manipulate me and my crew." Kirk rubbed his head. "They're only following orders."

"I find that hard to believe." The Admiral scoffed. "What do you mean by a hold on your brain?"

"I don't know the details, but I do know that if I don't do what she wants, I get a headache worse than twelve hydrogen bombs going off all at once." Kirk shrugged.

"Right," The Admiral closed his eyes in exasperation.

"Speaking of which, I would _love_ to continue this conversation, but if I don't show up where she wants me in two minutes, my brain's going to split in half." Kirk stood up again.

"I have every right to detain you, Captain." The Admiral said coldly and Kirk froze. "We're going to discuss this more later. Right now, I'm going to send my officer to this meeting with you to take notes. Are we understanding each other?"

"Loud and clear, Admiral." Kirk said stiffly, and he turned to the door. "Just one more thing," Kirk swiveled on his heel. "Why not just call me? Did you really think I wouldn't show?"

"I thought that it might shake you up," The Admiral laughed quietly. "I've employed one of my favorite tactics, and it looks like it worked."

"What, you think you _scared_ information out of me?" Kirk scoffed.

"I think that being pulled off the street had a very different effect than just calling you," The Admiral smiled smugly. "And I got what I needed."

"Right," Kirk had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"You are dismissed, Captain." The Admiral waved his hand and Kirk stepped through the door.

"So?" McCoy stood up immediately to greet Kirk.

"We've got a babysitter for the time being," Kirk grumbled as he motioned with his head to the officer. "And the Admiral knows everything."

" _Wonderful_." McCoy sighed, his words dripping with sarcasm. "As if things weren't complicated enough."

"Ah yeah and here's the kicker," Kirk said as he led McCoy out of the room. "Something's up with the Admiral. I can feel it in my gut."

/

"Alright, what's with the urgency?" Kirk asked, swinging the door to the warehouse open. Spock stood before him, his hands neatly clasped behind his back. Behind him, the Kahn-ut-tu woman lounged on a chair, twirling her hair in her fingers gently. Kirk did a double take as he saw her, flashing back to his vision for a brief second.

"Luna requested your presence," Spock cleared his throat, pulling Kirk back into reality. "She...disagrees with the way that I am managing the production of weapons." Spock explained and the woman waltzed over to the group.

"The man means to cheat me, Captain." The woman pressed her hand to her chest and said innocently.

"She is referring to the class of weapon that we are providing her with," Spock said, his voice edged with anger. "However, she seems to forget about our agreement made prior to-"

"He's going to provide me with low class weapons, Captain," The woman interrupted. "I wish for your most advanced weaponry." She said, a crooked smile on her face.

"That wasn't our deal," Kirk warned.

"Then change the deal," The woman shrugged and Kirk's face began to wrinkle up in confusion.

"Do not threaten the Captain," Spock whipped out his phaser and held it to the woman's head.

"Oh, I can do so much more than that," The woman smiled and Kirk's hand reached for the phaser in his holster.

"Jim," McCoy pleaded, reaching out a hand to Kirk. Kirk swung his elbow up and it connected with McCoy's jaw, sending him toppling to the floor. He steadied his phaser, aiming it at Spock's head.

"Put the phaser down, Spock." Kirk's voice shook as he trained the gun on his friend.

"Jim," Spock said softly, looking deep into Kirk's fearful blue eyes.

"I'm not asking, Spock." Kirk snarled, his voice still shaking. Spock reluctantly began to lower his weapon, and Kirk's finger squeezed the trigger. Spock gaped as a phaser blast hit him square in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

Kirk stumbled back, staring at the weapon in his hand. His incoherent thoughts swirling in his head suddenly began to form again. _What have I done?_

"Thank you, Captain." The woman sneered, examining her nails. "Now, about those weapons."

Kirk breathed heavily as he stared at Spock, who was clutching his shoulder and writhing on the ground. "What did you make me do?" He breathed, nearly inaudibly.

"What was necessary," The woman shrugged. "Now you're going to see to the weapons," Kirk could feel the woman tugging at his brain.

"I-I," He stammered as he dropped his phaser on the ground. "I've got to go," He breathed and turned his attention to the door.

"No, you will not." The woman pressed, but Kirk's stare remained on the door.

"I've got to go," He breathed again and took off in a dead sprint to the door.

"James!" The woman shrieked, watching as Kirk burst through the door and disappeared.

/

McCoy's head spun as he opened his eyes. "Doctor McCoy," He could hear Spock's pained voice call out. He sat up straight and wiped the blood from his nose.

"Spock?" McCoy breathed as he saw Spock laying limply across the room. "What the hell happened?" He scrambled to his feet and dashed over to the Vulcan, kneeling down beside him. " _Shit_." He whispered as he saw the scorch mark on Spock's shoulder. "Who did this to you?" He asked, pulling the medkit from his side.

"Jim," Spock gulped.

" _What_?" McCoy asked in disbelief.

"You have to find him, Doctor." Spock pleaded, clenching his teeth as he attempted to sit up.

"Are you going to be okay here by yourself?" McCoy asked, his heart skipping a beat as he thought about Kirk.

"I am fine, Doctor. Find him." Spock pleaded and McCoy sprung to his feet.

 _Shit,_ McCoy thought as he raced out of the warehouse, his head still reeling slightly. _Where the hell could he have gone?_ He asked himself as his feet hit the gravel of the parking lot. _He can't have gotten far,_ He realized as he continued forward. _Where the hell would he, oh SHIT!_ He swiveled around on his heel and looked to the roof of the warehouse, only to see Kirk perched on the edge of the twenty story building.

/

"Jim," McCoy said softly as he opened the door to the roof. Kirk stood still, staring at the horizon, the wind blowing his hair back. "Don't you want to come away from there and talk to me?"

"I can't, Bones." Kirk said firmly as he watched the distant city, the sun setting just behind the illuminated buildings, painting the sky red and orange. "I can't."

"You can, Jim. You have the choice." McCoy assured him, taking a half-step closer.

"I don't, Bones." Kirk choked on his words. "She-she's in my head. I can't control myself." A tear leaked from his eye and fell softly onto his cheek.

"Yes, you can," McCoy affirmed. "But only if you take back that control."

"I hurt you, Bones. I shot Spock," He said, his voice cracking. "All of this? It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, Jim. She's responsible for this, not you. As for Spock, he's okay. Just a little shaken up," McCoy paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Jim, you have the best marksmanship of anyone in all of Starfleet, and hell, maybe in the entire _universe_. Do you know how easily you could've landed a kill shot on Spock?" Kirk tensed up with the words. "But you _didn't._ You know why? Because you've still got one hand on the wheel."

"I don't deserve to live, Bones," Kirk said shakily. "Look at everything that happened because I didn't die."

"Think about what would've happened if you _did_ die," McCoy protested. "If Spock was willing to violate the prime directive to keep you alive, imagine what he would've done if you died. Think about me, Jim. Think about the Enterprise. Do you really want to leave her in the hands of that green-blooded hobgoblin?" McCoy asked and Kirk shook his head slightly. "That's what I thought. Right now, you're putting yourself back in control. But that means your emotions are all raw. Everything you're thinking and feeling, it's coming back to you. And it's hitting you like a truck. So, why don't you come down from there and we can figure all the rest of this shit out? We can't make things right without you, Jim." McCoy pleaded.

Kirk breathed in deeply before taking a step backwards, down from the ledge. "That's it, Jim." McCoy whispered as Kirk turned around and took a few shaky steps towards him. McCoy rushed up to meet him and scooped him in a bear hug. McCoy pressed a hypo into Kirk's back and Kirk melted into the hug, his body growing limp. "I'll take care of you, Jim. I always will."

/

 _Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Believe me, you don't want to miss what's coming next! Lots of action and drama! As always, constructive criticism and feedback is much appreciated. I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story, and thanks again for reading!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	7. Chapter 7

"Jim?" Kirk heard McCoy's voice distantly and he slowly opened his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, his head spinning as he tried to take in the light flooding his eyes. He sat up shakily and rubbed his head, relieved to find himself not in the medical ward, but in his own quarters. He breathed in relief as he sat up in his own bed, stared at his own walls, saw the familiar well-read books on the shelf. His eyes caught on his friend standing in the doorway, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw a stranger beside him.

"Bones?" Kirk asked, his eyes locking on the stranger's. He was a small man, golden rimmed glasses perched curiously on his child-like face, his eyes probing and intelligent. He couldn't have been much younger than Kirk himself, but he seemed so brightly curious that it took years of wear off his features. He stood silently, watching Kirk with a faint smile across his lips, his arms curled around a clipboard.

"Jim, this is-" McCoy started, but was swiftly interrupted by the man.

"Doctor Jancit," The man smiled at Kirk, stepping forward and extending a hand to Kirk. Kirk reluctantly took it and the two men shook hands. "It's an honor to meet you." The man gushed and Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"Likewise," He said skeptically as he took his hand back.

"Doctor Jancit is a psychiatrist for Starfleet's command members," McCoy explained as Jancit continued to stare at Kirk.

"It's my job to make sure that you get back to being yourself," Jancit added and Kirk nodded slowly.

"I want that to happen more than anything," Kirk sighed and exchanged a quick, concerned glance with McCoy. "Doctor Jancit, have you eaten breakfast?" Kirk asked, assuming his 'host' attitude.

"I have not, Captain." Jancit beamed.

"Would you like something? There's a couple of frozen waffles in the freezer, I think. Well, if Bones didn't eat the rest of them yet. Why don't you go heat some up for yourself?" Kirk asked, rubbing his head again.

"That would be fantastic, thank you. I'll leave you alone for a moment with Doctor McCoy. It looks like you two have some things to discuss. When I get back, we'll start our first session, if that's alright with you." Jancit smiled eagerly.

"Sounds perfect." Kirk lied through his smiling teeth and Jancit disappeared from the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Bones, what the hell?" Kirk hissed as soon as the door latched shut.

"Listen Jim, my hands were tied," McCoy hissed back, sitting down on the edge of Kirk's bed. "After that little _incident_ that our babysitter guard just _had_ to report, the Admiral insisted on assigning a therapist to you."

"Dammit," Kirk let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples. "And he had to assign that kid fresh out of kindergarten? Why not just let you handle things?"

"Well, his faith in me is a little shaken at the moment," McCoy grumbled. "And Jancit was Admiral Henyar's own therapist for a while. Said he worked wonders."

"Oh god, yeah I believe _that_ ," Kirk scoffed. "Is that why I get the feeling that Henyar's secrets have secrets?"

"Alright Jim, give the kid a chance. I mean, after what happened, it might be _good_ for you to..." McCoy trailed off as his eyes met Kirk's. Kirk's eyes stared into McCoy's very soul with a vengeful wrath. "I know you're not _happy_ with it, but this is the way things are, Jim. I fought with the Admiral until I was blue in the face. Hell, Spock even gave it a try. But he insisted. And if you don't go through with it, Henyar could take the ship," McCoy explained and Kirk's blood ran cold. "So I recommend that you play nice so we can get back in that tin can and get far away from all of these politics."

"Fine." Kirk grumbled after a long silence. "I'll play along. But in the meantime, I'm going to figure out where the hell Luna went, and who's trying to kill me."

"Speaking of which, how are you feeling?" McCoy asked softly, instinctively reaching for his tricorder.

"A little groggy," Kirk admitted as McCoy started the scan. "But overall, I'm alright."

"No head-splitting headaches from a certain witch?" McCoy asked as he watched the scan complete.

"No," Kirk shrugged. "It's a little weird, I don't know how to explain it. It's like I can _feel_ her in my head, but she can't do anything. It's like she's locked away in a cage up there."

"Make damn sure she doesn't get the key," McCoy warned as he slipped the tricorder back into his pack.

"I don't know if I can go through with this, Bones," Kirk sighed quietly. "I don't like the idea of someone poking around in my head."

"Well I like it a helluva lot better than the alternative," Bones said, his eyes welling with sadness. Kirk's eyes didn't meet his as Kirk looked down at the ground. "Let him help you, Jim."

"I'll try," Kirk said quietly. "But I won't like it."

"That's the spirit," McCoy sighed. "Now you should get yourself ready for breakfast with the shrink."

/

"So," Jancit sat across the kitchen table, drizzling a small amount of sticky syrup on his frozen waffles. "How long have you known Doctor McCoy?"

"Who, Bones?" Kirk asked, with his mouth full of waffles. "We met when we both joined Starfleet," He gestured with his fork. "Seems like forever ago."

"So I guess it's safe to say that you two have a special bond?" Jancit asked and Kirk nearly choked on his food.

"Define special bond." Kirk wiped his mouth with his pajama sleeve.

"You have a friendship that's very important to your life," Jancit shrugged.

"Yeah, we do. I don't know what I would do without Bones." Kirk nodded slowly, taking another large bite of waffle.

"Do you think, in this friendship, that you tell each other most of the things that are on your minds?" Jancit asked and Kirk's blood ran cold.

"Well I know that Bones always has a lot to say," Kirk laughed a little and took a long swig of orange juice that he desperately wished had vodka in it.

"And you?" Jancit looked at Kirk expectantly. Kirk fell silent and stared at what was left of his waffles. "Why do you think you keep things from him?" Jancit asked, folding his hands neatly on the table.

"To be fair, I keep things from everyone," Kirk shrugged, keeping his eyes down on his plate.

"Why do you think that is?" Jancit pressed and Kirk shifted uncomfortably. "Alright, Captain. Let me explain how this works. I can't help you if you don't tell me what you're thinking. _No one_ can. I know that you don't want to talk to me. But, the sooner you open up, the sooner you never have to see me again."

"Promise?" Kirk muttered and dragged his fork across the plate.

"I promise," Jancit chuckled and straightened the papers on his clipboard. "So, let's start this again. Do you get the feeling sometimes that you _can't_ tell people things? Do you feel like they won't listen?"

"I- well no, that's not it," Kirk sighed. "I just..." Kirk let out a frustrated sigh.

"What is it, Jim? Remember that I'm just here to help you." Jancit pressed.

"I... I don't want to burden them with my problems." Kirk said, the last of his words rushing out of his mouth in a quick breath.

Jancit raised an eyebrow and set the clipboard down gently on the table. "Jim, I don't think that's the type of relationship that you and your friends have," He said soothingly.

"That's not what I mean," Kirk grumbled. "I mean that they already have enough to deal with without worrying about whatever shit I've got swirling around in my head." Kirk shrugged.

"Alright, let me put something into perspective for you," Jancit leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "Picture this. One of your crew is in distress because of, let's say, he's got a rough situation at home. His parents used to beat him, and now he thinks that he can make it into space and escape them. But now, he realizes that no matter how far he goes, he can't escape what they've done to him. Would you want this crew member to keep this to themselves, or would you want them to explain to someone what it is that's going on in their head?"

Kirk fell silent once again, his heart starting to speed up. "I would want him to get the help he needs," He started. "But he's not me. He's not in charge of an entire ship. He doesn't always have to have his shit together." He quickly followed up.

"Captain, are you _not_ a human being?" Jancit asked, turning his head slightly as he looked at Kirk.

"Well, I mean-" Kirk started, but Jancit interrupted.

"And, as a human being, are you not allowed to carry some weight and not be expected to be perfect?" Jancit interjected.

"Not when the whole world is watching you and expecting nothing less." Kirk returned Jancit's remark with a cold stare. "I think we're done here." Kirk said stiffly and pushed his chair back from the table.

/

A soft knock at the door interrupted Kirk's staring contest with the ceiling as he lay in bed, motionlessly. "Jim, can I come in? It's McCoy." McCoy's soft voice passed through the door and Kirk let out a soft grunt. McCoy pushed the door open slowly in response, peeking around the corner as he approached. "So, how'd the therapy session go?" McCoy asked and Kirk retained his gaze on the ceiling. "That well, huh?"

"I don't know what he thinks he's going to gain." Kirk scoffed and remained fixed to his spot.

"Your trust? Your confidence? A way to help you work through your problems?" McCoy listed off and Kirk gently shook his head.

"That doesn't sound quite right." He said softly.

"Jim, you know that I wouldn't make you do this if I didn't have to," McCoy cooed. "But I don't have any more of a choice in this than you do."

"I know, Bones. It's not your fault." Kirk said, near silently as he continued to gaze at the ceiling.

McCoy sat silently and watched as Kirk remained motionless in his bed, his hands folded neatly over his chest, and his eyes directed to the ceiling. He hadn't seen Kirk sit this still unless he was heavily sedated, or thinking _very_ deeply about something. "What are you thinking about, Jim?" McCoy asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"They have to be in Starfleet, Bones," Kirk answered curtly, offering no other explanation. McCoy breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking about the bombing was probably the best possible thing that could be causing such a pensive episode at the moment. "It just wouldn't make sense otherwise. No one else would have access to the podium right before I went up there. Maybe they were a part of the assembly crew?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunching as he thought.

"But why would someone in Starfleet want to bomb a room full of their own members?" McCoy asked, half-hoping that Kirk was wrong, even though he wanted nothing more than to get the culprit off the streets.

"That's what I don't get. I mean, there's turncoats in every organization. I mean, with one as powerful and influential as Starfleet, there's no way there's _not_ a traitor skulking around somewhere. The question is, _where_ are they?" Kirk asked, suddenly sitting up straight and looking at the door. "They've got to have a reason for turning. It's not for the power. If it were for the power, they would've made everyone know that they were behind it. I mean, _someone_ would've taken ownership for the attack if they really did it for the attention. It can't be for the money, either. Unless they were getting paid to just take me out, which doesn't seem likely because I'm still here,"

"To be fair, that's mostly because you and your entire crew is incredibly stubborn," McCoy scoffed.

"Right, but that just doesn't feel right. They would've taken another shot at me. Either when I was in the hospital, or any other time after. I've been vulnerable and available."

"So what's the motive, then?" McCoy asked, trying desperately to follow Kirk's winding train of thought.

"I mean, it's possible that they're trying to start a war with the Klingons," Kirk shrugged, running his fingers through his hair as he thought. "By using that technology in the bomb, there's only two reasons. They were trying to frame the Klingons, or they are just _really_ fascinated with Klingon technology. I'm going with the first reason," He continued, furrowing his brow even further in thought. "And they've got the motives, and they've got the opportunity, being in Starfleet and all. Now, we've just got to figure out how they've got the means. It's not easy to come by a bomb like that."

"So they've got to be either very financially well off, or they've got to have connections in sketchy places," McCoy added hesitantly.

"Exactly," Kirk confirmed. "And if they've got the money, that means they've got the influence over people. Which must mean they've got to have some reason for wanting to kill me, or they've got some reason for wanting to start a war with the Klingons. Or both. And they've got to be a part of Starfleet. That only leaves us with a couple of options."

"You think that it's one of the Admirals or Council members?" McCoy breathed in disbelief.

"It's a possibility," Kirk shrugged, still lost in thought. "The other option is that this person has 'connections in sketchy places'. And if they do, they _also_ have to have a pretty damn good reason for wanting to start something with the Klingons, or for wanting to vote me off the island. But _why_?"

"Do you think you're really going to find out before you catch the bastard?" McCoy asked quietly.

"Well I was _hoping_ ," Kirk grumbled and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "While we think on that, we've got other problems to deal with. Specifically one named Luna." He huffed and started out the door quickly, McCoy following close behind him. "Any leads on where she might be?"

"Starfleet's got a whole search team on the lookout for her, but that's about all I can tell you." McCoy shrugged.

"Great," Kirk muttered and stopped as he reached the door. His hand hovered around the door release button, but he didn't press it.

"Jim?" McCoy asked, his voice edged with concern as he watched Kirk stop dead in his tracks.

"I think I know how to find her. But you're not going to like it." Kirk breathed and made his way back to the couch.

"What is it?" McCoy asked, his heart starting to beat faster with concerned confusion.

"I don't think that Luna's really got a hold on my brain," Kirk explained as he made himself comfortable in the center of the couch. "I mean, the way she explained it, the connection between our souls kind of seems like a two-way street. Maybe I can get to her and see what she's doing. I did it a little bit before, but on accident. Remember that time at the medical ward where I completely blanked?"

"Hang on a second," McCoy threw up his hands in protest. "You told me that she's locked up in a little room in the corner of your brain. You really want to let her loose just so we can find out where she is?"

"If it's our only chance to find her, I'm willing to take the risk. Besides, last time, she didn't even notice that I was watching her. Maybe I can pull that off again." Kirk settled into the couch, tucking his legs into a neat criss-cross underneath him.

"You're right, I'm _not_ happy about it," McCoy grumbled. "I don't want to have to deal with your fallout if something goes wrong. And don't you think for a second that I'm not upset that you didn't tell me what you saw in that little episode of yours in the medical ward. You're supposed to tell me everything." He growled.

"Right. Well, from now on, I will. But right now, I've got to find out where she's hiding. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of her." Kirk looked deep into McCoy's eyes and pleaded. "Are you going to let me go through with this?"

"Fine," McCoy finally replied after a long silence. "But you'd better lock her right back up when you're done snooping," He warned and a small smile formed on Kirk's lips.

"I promise," He chuckled softly. "Well, here goes nothing." He sucked in a deep breath and let his eyes fall closed. He let out the breath slowly and a bright white light came over his vision once again.

/

 _Geez, long time no update! I'll try and be better, I'm so sorry! This story is not quite progressing the way that I'd like, but I'm going to keep on trudging through. I hope you'll bear with me as I try and work through it... Anyway, thanks for reading!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	8. Chapter 8

"There's been a few... complications," Kirk could hear Luna's voice as he tried to blink the bright light out of his eyes. As she came into view, Kirk noticed her sparse clothing had become covered in soot and grime, and that she was talking into a small communicator. He took a small step forward, not daring to come too close and disturb her. "I have fallen out of the Captain's graces," She said and quickly stopped. "No, I cannot seem to regain control of his mind. I can feel the connection between us, but I can't reach out to him. He has locked me out." She explained and Kirk's heart started to beat faster. "I will have to induce heavy meditation to regain it," She paused, listening in on the communicator. "I thought that you said it was a priority- yes, I see. They have no idea that I am consulting with the Klingons, no."

 _Shit._ Kirk thought, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut. _They must be the outsiders that she was talking about._

"It will be done." She nodded and closed the communicator, then slipped it back into her pocket. She heaved a heavy sigh and looked up towards the sky. Kirk turned his head curiously as he watched her reach out and begin to scale something. He watched her movements as she shimmed up and stretched out across what he could only assume to be a tree branch. She sucked in a deep breath, and suddenly turned her head to face Kirk. Kirk froze on his feet as their eyes connected. She narrowed her eyes at him and her mouth began to curl into a smile, and he quickly shut his eyes and yanked himself out of the trance.

/

He awoke again with a start, sucking in a deep breath as he tried to take in his surroundings again. McCoy placed a comforting hand on his back and one on his shoulder as he tried to steady his friend.

"Jim?" McCoy asked quietly as he retained his steady grip on his back. "Jim what did you see?" McCoy pressed as Kirk rested his head in his hands.

"She was there," Kirk said in a rushed voice, his body still gasping for breath. "She was in the woods somewhere. Probably just outside of the city," He dragged his hand down his face and sat up straight. "She's working with the Klingons, Bones." Kirk said and McCoy's blood ran cold, all the color draining from his face. "Those are the outsiders on her planet that she was talking about."

"Dammit," McCoy huffed as he pulled his hands off Kirk's steadying chest. "Do you think they were behind the bombing?"

"No," Kirk said, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "Besides, Spock didn't even bring her here until _after_ the bombing. She had every opportunity to kill me. I mean, she came close, but she didn't do it. I think that they're just looking for information. And what better way to get it than to use me?" He rubbed his temples and took another deep breath.

"So we still have no idea who planted the bomb?" McCoy asked.

"No, but I think that it's all gotta be connected somehow. I mean, none of this could be coincidental, right?" Kirk asked, looking to McCoy for validation, but McCoy simply shrugged. "We've got to run this by Spock and see what he thinks." He stood up and started for the door.

"Wait," McCoy said and Kirk's pace faltered. "I don't want you going back out there if she's still wandering around, waiting to snatch your brain back up."

"She's not looking for me anymore, Bones," Kirk insisted, reaching for the door button. "She's got some other mission. I didn't catch what it was, though. But I know that she's letting me go."

"That's not enough, Jim," McCoy said firmly. "I'm not letting you go back out there until everything is settled and figured out. We'll call Spock here, do you understand me?" McCoy puffed out his chest and narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Fine," Kirk grumbled and gave in. "But he'd better get here soon."

/

"Klingons," Spock mused as he pressed his fingers to his chin. "It is unlikely that they are behind the bombing, but it is quite possible that they are now undergoing another plot to take out Starfleet, with the Kahn-ut-tu woman on the loose."

"That's exactly what I said," Kirk called from the kitchen, carrying a tray with glasses, a bottle of whiskey, and a cup of tea. "They were looking for information. Do you think they've got what they need and are going to take us out?" He set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the two men lounging on the couch.

"That is a possibility," Spock nodded and graciously accepted the cup of tea while Kirk poured a generous amount of alcohol into each of the glasses, then took a seat on the couch next to McCoy. "And if that is so, we need to figure out who they could be targeting."

"We know the witch has some sort of mind control healing remedy," McCoy snatched both the glasses of whiskey off the tray and poured one back into the bottle, then brought the tray back into the kitchen.

"She's probably targeting someone in authority, if she's going to take us out." Kirk crossed his arms against his chest as McCoy returned with a glass of water and set it in front of him.

"But my question is why? I thought the Klingons were all about honor. It seems a little backhanded to attack us with a spy during a time of treaty between us." McCoy sipped on his whiskey and nudged Kirk with his elbow, urging him to drink the water.

"Perhaps we are missing a variable from the equation," Spock folded his hands around the cup. "The Klingons do not wish to make a spectacle of taking out Starfleet, or perhaps not yet. That could be in return for something that Starfleet has done to them."

"You suggesting that Starfleet did something backhanded to the Klingons?" Kirk asked, the wheels in his head turning quickly.

"That is the most likely cause." Spock offered the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug.

"Someone high up could easily sweep something like that under the rug," Kirk mumbled. "The question is, who? And why? Did they _mean_ to start a war with the Klingons, or did they have some other reason? And what the hell do we have to gain from starting a war with the Klingons?" Everyone fell silent as they thought about all of the possibilities.

"So," McCoy interrupted the silence. "Do you think this has anything to do with the bombing?"

"I think that if someone high up wanted me dead, I'd be dead. They wouldn't have let the delay on the bomb stop them. Hell, they wouldn't have let the delay on the bomb _happen._ " Kirk shrugged.

"And they would have no reason to pin the bombing on the Klingons, if they were indeed so successful covering their tracks with wronging the Klingons." Spock added.

"There has to be a third party. But why would they want to get involved with something like this? Did they know about what Starfleet was doing to the Klingons?" Kirk questioned.

"This is all based off a few theories, nothing that has been proven," Spock warned, trying to let them know how dangerous it could be to go off on tangents the way that they were.

"Well, theories are all we've got," Kirk sighed. "And I think that I need to poke around high command. See what I can dig up about the Klingons and any dealings we've got with them, good, bad, or shady."

"And the bomber?" McCoy asked.

"We've got to see who, on the lower tier of Starfleet, has access to any intel about the Klingons." Kirk said firmly and stood up from his seat on the couch. "I'm off to command. Spock, keep me posted on what you find out. Bones, let me know if the search party finds Luna."

"As you wish, Captain." Spock nodded and set down his tea on the table.

"Jim," McCoy warned. Kirk turned to face him, his eyes filled with strength and determination. "Be careful." McCoy said, a little defeated, and Kirk marched out the door. "It's good to have him back. The _real_ him." McCoy sighed and sat back in the couch.

"Do you believe that the therapy sessions will help him?" Spock asked, standing up and brushing the wrinkles off his uniform.

"I think that they can, once he opens up. Until then, I think that the best thing for him is to get back into action for now. Then he'll pull himself out of his funk, like he always does. Then we'll be able to connect better with him. When he's in that sorry state, no one can reach him," McCoy sighed. "Not even an expert."

"We are doing all that we can to protect the Captain, Doctor." Spock reassured him. "Both mentally and physically."

"I sure hope so," McCoy grumbled and took another sip of his whiskey. "I can't lose him like that ever again."

/

"Captain Kirk," Admiral Henyar remarked, slightly disconcerted as Kirk opened up the door to his office. "I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see that you had made an appointment so soon after beginning therapy," He motioned to the chair in front of his desk, then folded his hands neatly on the desk. "But it's good to see you, nevertheless. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, Admiral," Kirk sat down and reclined confidently in the comfortable chair.

"Is there something that I can do for you, Captain?" The Admiral asked, probing Kirk's eyes for answers.

"Actually, you can," Kirk sat forward in his chair. "I've been looking into a little...situation, and I was hoping that you might have some information for me."

"What kind of situation?" The Admiral asked warily.

"Well, I was in he library today, looking up some things about the Kahn-ut-tus, and I found something interesting. I wasn't really expecting to find anything, since it's an unmapped system, but that's when I stumbled on an article about a special root found on Neural's moon. It took a lot of digging, but I found out that someone had written the report, based on the value of the plant on the market, and the possible demand. This was fifteen years ago," Kirk paused and examined the expression on the Admiral's face. It was unwavering, but Kirk knew that there was something behind his eyes. "Someone tried to wipe this report off the system. Luckily, I have one of the most brilliant minds on my crew, and he was able to find it for me."

"This is an interesting development," The Admiral raised his eyebrows. "I'll have someone look into it right away. If you'll excuse me, Captain, I have other meetings that I shuffled around so that you could come in."

"Right, of course. Thank you for your time," Kirk stood up and nodded to the Admiral, then stopped and turned on his heel. " _One_ more thing though. I kept trying to figure out why someone would try and erase it from the record. Maybe it was a money grab? I don't know. But then I found something _else_ out," Kirk continued and the Admrial froze. "The Klingons had reportedly started making steps towards coming to Neural, according to other records. They neared the planet, and I figured that maybe _whoever_ was in charge of this report felt threatened by the Klingons encroaching on their territory and tried to erase all evidence of the planet from the records so that they could carry out whatever actions they had to to keep the money flowing," The color from the Admiral's face began to drain. "But then I wondered who had the authority to destroy something from the records. And I realized that it had to be an Admiral," Kirk was cut off by Henyar snatching a phaser from beneath his desk and pointing it at the Captain's chest.

"You shouldn't have dug this deep, Kirk." The Admiral snarled.

"Thank God," Kirk let out a sigh of relief. "You're like, the fifth Admiral I've talked to today. I was starting to think I was way off base. Especially with the way they reacted to the accusation. Got thrown out _twice_ by security, can you believe that?"

"You know I can't let you leave now that you know this," The Admiral said coldly.

"Ah, right. I expect nothing less," Kirk shrugged, his arms raised defensively. "But I do have one question. What the hell'd you do to the Klingons to piss them off _that_ badly?"

"If you're referring to the bombing, I had nothing to do with that. As far as things are concerned with the Klingons, I made sure that their supply lines were crippled." The Admiral stood up and began walking towards Kirk slowly, the weapon still trained on Kirk's chest.

"And what does that mean, exactly?" Kirk asked, taking a half-step backwards.

"I had to destroy their supply ships." The Admiral stepped closer, pushing Kirk in the chest with his phaser.

"Wait, so you killed their people in a time of _peace_? What the hell, man?" Kirk asked in disbelief as he backed into the wall.

"You saw how much those roots are worth. I couldn't afford to let the Klingons ruin that opportunity. Do you know how much money Starfleet burns through? You know how much your fancy new Starship that you keep bringing back in pieces costs?" The Admiral raised his voice and continued to hit Kirk with the front of his phaser.

"More than your morals are worth, I guess." Kirk scoffed.

"Yeah, _this_ is the time to be smart," The Admiral snarled.

"With the decisions you're making, I'll always be smarter than you anyways." Kirk shrugged with a smug smile on his face. The Admiral's finger squeezed the trigger tighter. "Oh please, don't act like you're going to shoot me," Kirk shook his head. "What do you think they'll do to you when they find out that you killed me?"

"They would think that I've done it in self-defense," The Admiral gave Kirk a stone-cold smile. "After all, I've got witness that can attest to your quickly deteriorating mental state. You're _done,_ Captain."

/

 _Hey, long time no update! Sorry this chapter took so long, and I wish that it was better, but hey, it's the best I've got. This 'mental warfare' think is haaaard. I promise that everything's going to be resolved very soon... Anyway, I hope you consider sticking around for more, and maybe leaving some constructive criticism or feedback? Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story so far!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	9. Chapter 9

"Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice, Doctor." McCoy sipped on his black coffee, wishing ruefully that he had any sort of alcohol instead.

"Of course, Doctor McCoy," Doctor Jancit sat across from him at the small table in Kirk and McCoy's quarters. He cupped his hand around the warm mug and pushed his glasses back up his small nose and smiled warmly at McCoy. "But," His mouth twisted slightly into a grimace. "I hope this isn't about Captain Kirk's classified sessions,"

"No, of course not," McCoy scoffed and took a nervous drink from his coffee, once again cursing that it wasn't something else. "I'm worried about him, that's all. But no, I wanted to get to know you better. You and Jim are probably going to be seeing a lot of each other, and I don't want us to feel like strangers," McCoy quickly covered up his guilt with southern charm.

"Right, of course," Jancit beamed. "Is there anything you want to know about me?"

"Well," McCoy sighed slightly and shrugged. "Where're you from?"

"I was born on a federation planet just outside of the Yakun system, but I moved around quite a bit when I was younger. I bounced around here and there a while. My mother was Captain of the starship _U.S.S. Synodic_. Me and my dad kept ourselves busy around the ship. He was a psychologist on board, and I followed in his footsteps." Janict spoke very animatedly with his hands, his glasses slowly sliding back down his nose with every jostle.

"The _Synodic_ , huh? I don't think I've heard of that one," McCoy admitted, leaning back in his chair and setting the mug back down on the table.

"It was a small ship, tasked with simple negotiations here and there," Jancit shrugged. "I'm not surprised that you don't know it. Most people don't. But, her missions actually helped to secure peace between several nations and Starfleet."

McCoy shivered at the word Starfleet, remembering Kirk flaunting himself at headquarters as they spoke. He had invited Jancit over to ease his mind on Kirk's condition, but he made it clear that he was getting nowhere with that. He sighed and glanced briefly at is communicator, anxiously awaiting the check-in call that Kirk had promised him.

"Is there something wrong, Doctor McCoy?" Jancit asked, his childlike eyes swelling with concern.

"Oh, no," McCoy scoffed and reassured him. "I'm just expecting a call from Jim. He promised he would check in." McCoy rubbed his temple.

"Captain Kirk most likely just needs some air right now. He needs some time to figure things out on his own. That is one independent man," Jancit shook his head with a smile. "He's going to pull through what he's going through. And he knows that you're there to support him," Jancit reassured McCoy.

"I'm just concerned how this meeting with the Admiral is gonna go for him," McCoy sighed heavily. _He's called after all the other meetings to fill me in,_ McCoy thought to himself.

"Oh? Which Admiral?" Jancit asked curiously.

"Henyar," McCoy slurped down some more coffee.

"What does Henyar want him in for so soon?" Jancit asked, spinning his mug slightly on the table.

"He actually went in to see Henyar on his own," McCoy admitted.

"Do you know what for?" Jancit asked, spinning the mug again. McCoy narrowed his eyes slightly, confused about what had the man suddenly so fidgety.

"He thinks he has some lead on the bombing," McCoy sighed, leading the young man on slightly, not wanting to expose the whole truth to him just yet. "He's probably just chasing his tail, but he wanted to check it out anyway."

"Interesting," Jancit mused quietly. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of lead does he have?"

"Are you asking for gossip purposes, or because you think you can use this to help Jim?" McCoy asked, a serious expression stretching across his face.

"I'm just curious, is all. And if I can use it to help Captain Kirk get better, I think that it's best for me to follow up on it. Who knows, maybe I can help you rationalize through this." Jancit smiled warmly, whatever trepidation he had shown before squashed down deep inside.

"Alright," McCoy breathed after a second of hesitation. "I'll tell you what's going on after I get a call from Jim. His meeting with Henyar should be wrapping up soon, if it hasn't already. I want to see if this lead is actually going anywhere, or if it's something that Jim just made up in his crazy head and can work through on his own."

"Fair enough," Jancit replied, and McCoy could see the younger man's shoulders tense up slightly.

"In the meantime, you want to tell me what made you decide to settle down here, and not up in space like your folks?" McCoy asked, picking up his coffee again.

"Oh," Jancit said quietly and looked down at his coffee. "My parents passed away while I was attending Starfleet. It was a botched mission. None of the crew made it out."

"I'm so sorry," McCoy leaned towards the man. He instinctively reached out to put his hand on his shoulder, but he repressed the reflex. "What happened?" He asked soothingly, remembering the small voice in the back of his head that sounded a lot like Kirk telling him to 'work on his bedside manner'.

"They had just finished negotiating the peace between Starfleet and a powerful adversary, but someone double-crossed them and they got caught up in the cross hairs." Jancit sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to depress you," He quickly shook off the sullen expression and put on a happy face again. "I stayed down here to finish what they started. I knew that psychology was the means to diplomatic victory."

"Very insightful," McCoy nodded at the young man. "I couldn't agree more. I know that Jim's silver tongue has gotten us out of our fair share of sticky situations," He chuckled, trying to ease the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Manipulation can have a powerful effect on people," Jancit reasoned. "But it can only take you so far. I admire Kirk for taking action when he needs to."

"Speaking of Kirk, I can't believe that he hasn't called yet. That little bastard." McCoy grumbled, staring down his communicator, as if doing so would send chills down his friend's spine and make him pick up the communicator. "Anyway, speaking of Henyar, was he your first big client? I can't imagine you having many more, especially at your age." McCoy tried to shift the conversation.

"My first big client, yes. I've been helping people since I was little, but I've never met a man quite like Admiral Henyar before." Jancit said and took a sip of his coffee.

"What do you mean by that?" McCoy asked, a terrible feeling gnawing at his stomach. He nonchalantly checked his watch. Kirk was much too late. This meeting was taking him too long. Something was wrong.

"It's a patient confidentiality thing," Jancit shrugged. "You understand."

"Of course," McCoy assured him, though he desperately wanted to know more. "But you don't think that Jim's in any kind of danger, do you?"

"Of Henyar? No." Jancit hesitated to say, and something clicked in McCoy's head.

"Oh my God," He breathed, frozen to his seat. "Henyar's the one," He clumsily stood up, his heart beating out of his chest. "Henyar's behind everything with the Klingons," His head started to spin.

"Now, Doctor McCoy, please calm down a second," Jancit stood up and put his hands up in an attempt to soothe McCoy.

"Henyar's behind this, and you _knew,_ " McCoy came to the sudden realization. "You're his shrink. He _told_ you," McCoy's thoughts swirled quickly through his mind as everything came together. "Why didn't you tell any-" He froze as the final pieces clicked into place. "Your parents. They negotiated with the Klingons. They were the powerful adversaries," He breathed and something in Jancit snapped. His eyes went from childlike wonderment to cold and unforgiving. "Henyar double crossed your parents. They killed your parents," McCoy breathed. "But you didn't know that, did you? Not until he confessed out of guilt," McCoy continued, and Jancit pulled a concealed phaser from his pocket and aimed it at him.

"That's enough." Jancit said coldly.

"You wanted revenge. You _needed_ to show Henyar the error of his ways. So you set up a trap. _You_ set up the bombing. You wanted everyone to see how the Klingons could kill, like they killed your family. But most of all, you wanted the truth to come out about Henyar. And you thought that there was no other way to do that than to start an all-out war." McCoy whispered in disbelief, remembering regretfully that he had left his phaser on the end table by the couch. "You think that if Starfleet can so easily double cross their own, that it should be ripped apart."

"Look around you, Doctor McCoy," Jancit hissed, his hands shaking with passion. "All of this? All of Starfleet? It's built on _deception_. It's built on keeping _secrets_ and telling _lies_ that gets its own members murdered. Do you really think that's something worth having around?"

"So you think that it's better to let thousands of innocents die for _nothing_?" McCoy narrowed his eyes at the younger man.

"It's not for nothing, Doctor. It's for the birth of something new. Something _better._ You may see the Klingons as ruthless, but they live by a set of morals, and that's more than I can say for Starfleet. The war will be long and bloody, but what'll emerge when compromises are made? The blend between the best of the two ways of life? That's worth more than the lives that'll be lost. That'll prevent the lives lost in future back-handed efforts by Starfleet. The ends _alway_ _s_ justify the means, Doctor McCoy."

McCoy gulped as he stared down the barrel of the man's phaser. Jancit's hands shook as his finger drew closer to the trigger. McCoy knew that there would be no reaching the man now. He only hoped that someone would reach _him_ in time.

/

"So," Kirk shifted as he watch Henyar's fingers curl around the trigger of his phaser. "Now what?"

"Now, you're going to die." Henyar snarled.

"Not as fast as your reputation is going to die," Kirk shrugged and Henyar hesitated for a moment. Kirk stretched his head up to the ceiling slightly and revealed the small device that peeked out just above his shirt's neckline. "This was one helluva confession, by the way." Kirk folded his arms across his chest, and several Starfleet guards came rushing into the room, their phasers aimed at Henyar.

"Lower your weapon, Admiral." One of the guards instructed gruffly, and Kirk offered him a smug smile.

"You heard the man, Admiral." Kirk smirked.

"You've made a big mistake, Kirk." Henyar hissed and began to lower his weapon slowly.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Kirk said snidely, and Henyar raised his phaser suddenly, releasing an energy pulse into the air. Kirk felt his breath leave his body as the bolt hit him square in the shoulder and he toppled to the ground. He could hear the security guards scrambling to stun Henyar as he raised his weapon to fire again.

"Captain, are you alright?" One of the guards knelt down beside him and asked with hurried concern.

"Yeah," Kirk gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly. "Yeah, help me up." He grabbed onto the guard's shoulder blindly and tried to pull himself up.

"We've called in a medteam, Captain. They're going to be here soon for you." The guard reassured him and Kirk's eyes snapped open.

"Alright," He breathed out sharply, trying to suppress the scorching pain in his shoulder. "Did you call in Doctor McCoy?"

"I'm not sure, they called whoever's on duty," The guard admitted and Kirk fumbled with his belt, trying to find his communicator.

"Fine," He breathed. "I'll call him myself." He flipped it open with one hand and struggled to sit himself up. "Bones," He spoke firmly into the communicator. " _Bones_ ," He repeated as the communicator simply continued to ring. He sighed in frustration and struggled to turn the dial over. "Spock," He said, a little more quickly than he had spoke McCoy's name.

"Spock, here." Spock replied and Kirk breathed a sigh of relief, letting himself slip back down the wall. He set the communicator down on his chest and pulled the small device from his neck, tossing it to the side.

"Spock, Henyar's in custody. We got a full confession." Kirk grunted, trying to sit up again. "Thanks to a couple favors I called in to some friends on the security team, they were listening in to my conversations with all the Admirals."

"Captain, are you alright?" Spock asked quickly as soon as Kirk had stopped talking.

"I'm fine, Spock," Kirk grunted as he pushed himself up along the wall some more.

"The Captain's been shot, commander," The security officer blabbed, and Kirk shot him a merciless glare.

"Yeah," He mumbled after a pause. "What he said."

"Are you alright?" Spock pressed.

"I'm _fine,_ " He grumbled. "They called in a medteam already, but I couldn't get a hold of Bones. Have you heard from him?"

"Doctor McCoy informed me that he had invited Doctor Jancit over for coffee," Spock explained.

"Well, can you do me a favor and tell him to get off his ass and stop consulting with my shrink? I've got a hospital to get to," He groaned as the guard helped him to sit upright against the wall.

"Of course, Captain." Spock responded.

"Any news on Luna?" Kirk asked as the door to the office opened up and a medteam came flooding in.

"Not as of now," Spock said briefly, as he heard the medteam begin to stir up commotion in the room. "I will bring Doctor McCoy to the hospital."

"Awesome." Kirk grumbled and one of the nurses snatched his communicator from his chest.

/

Spock walked quickly through the halls of the living quarters, his heart pounding a little fast for his taste as he trucked ahead. It was strange that Doctor McCoy had not answered his calls. As he walked briskly through the halls, he thought of Kirk sitting alone in the hospital, a place that he had rarely been to without his CMO. Spock knew that the Captain was not fond of hospitals, especially when there was no one there to ease his nerves.

He rounded the corner and knocked politely on the door to McCoy and Kirk's quarters. He tapped on the door, which unexpectedly creaked open with his touch. He instinctively reached for his phaser, raising his weapon and pushing the door open slightly to peer inside. To his dismay, the room was empty, save for two spilled cups of coffee on the table, and McCoy's phaser laying precariously on the edge of it.

/

 _Here you go, fresh new chapter! Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you stick around for more. Thanks again for reading!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	10. Chapter 10

"What do you _mean_ he's not there?" Kirk hissed through the communicator. Though he wasn't standing beside him, Spock could practically see the twisted expression of anger and confusion on Kirk's face.

"It appears that Doctor McCoy has left with Doctor Jancit," Spock gulped as he walked briskly through the halls of the complex, scanning desperately for any sign of McCoy. "They have left behind two spilled cups of coffee and the doctor's phaser," Spock continued, rounding the next corner.

" _Fuck,_ " Kirk grumbled through the communicator. "Bones can't stand it when I put my feet on the coffee table, there's no way in hell he would've left that mess there. And his _phaser_? He knows better than that."

"I am patrolling the halls as we speak," Spock reassured him.

"You think it was Luna? Or the Klingons? Or Henyar's minions?" Kirk asked hurriedly.

"Unclear, Captain." Spock replied promptly.

"Check the security cameras and see if you can find anything out. I'm on my way," Spock could hear Kirk shifting painfully on the other line.

"No," Spock said firmly. "You require medical attention. I will find Doctor McCoy." He raced towards the security room.

"I'm _fine,_ Spock. I'll have them stop the ambulance and let me out, no problem." He groaned and Spock could hear the commotion of nurses in the background.

"Captain, the only reason that they gave you your communicator back is because it is an emergency. They will not let you out of their sight, nor should they," Spock insisted.

"Find him, Spock," Kirk huffed after a brief silence. "And hurry."

"Aye, Captain." Spock closed the communicator and raced to the security room.

/

"I'm sorry that it has to be like this, Doctor McCoy," Jancit held the phaser to McCoy's head as they overlooked the streets of San Francisco from seventy stories up. The wind tousled McCoy's hair and blew it into his face as he stood on the edge of the rooftop. "I respect you. I always have. For both your loyalty and your skills. I wish I didn't have to do this."

"Then don't do it," McCoy said stiffly as he tried to assess his options.

"I don't have any other choice, Doctor." Jancit insisted.

"Yes, you _do._ We can work this out, Jancit. Just let me down from here and we can talk this through. We can talk to the not-corrupted Starfleet officials. We can turn this around." He pushed, gulping slightly as Jancit pushed the phaser further into his scalp.

"You and I both know I can't do that. I've gone too far. There's no turning back." He sighed and pushed McCoy further slightly.

"And what do you think they're going to say when they find out that I 'jumped'? I didn't even leave a note. They'll know something's up. And it'll lead back to _you_." McCoy snarled. "Spock knows that I was having coffee with you. How are you going to explain this?"

"The Klingons attacked us. Brought us up to the roof. Forced you over the edge. They left me behind to serve as a warning. They told me to tell the story." Jancit shrugged and McCoy shuddered at how easily he had formed the lie.

"They'll question you, Jancit. They won't take something like this lightly. Especially if it would bring us to war with the Klingons." McCoy wracked his brain for something more to say. _What would Kirk do?_ He thought over and over.

"Doctor McCoy, I know every trick in the book. I went to school and studied these tactics for _years._ They won't break me." He said confidently and pushed McCoy again. "Now it's time for you to go down."

"And if I don't? You'll what, shoot me? Try explaining _that._ " McCoy continued to lead on the younger man, not giving up hope that his friends would find him in time.

"Easy," He chuckled. "I just-"

He was cut off by the sound of the roof access door cracking open. "Drop the phaser, Doctor Jancit. Step away from Doctor McCoy." Spock's cold voice made McCoy's heart do a back-flip with joy.

"Spock," Jancit's voice suddenly became timorous and scared. His hands shook and McCoy's muscles tensed as he felt the phaser begin to shift on his scalp. "Spock, you've got to help me," He shook. "The Kahn-ut-tu, she's got control of my mind!" His voice cracked and quavered. "I can't stop her." He cried out.

"Don't listen to him, Spock! The man's mad!" McCoy shouted in response.

"Doctor Jancit, lower your weapon and step away from Doctor McCoy!" Spock repeated, trying to maintain his stoic expression.

Jancit began to lower his phaser slowly and McCoy breathed in relief. "I'm sorry." Jancit whispered before giving McCoy a quick shove, sending McCoy stumbling off the edge of the building.

/

McCoy felt the air leave his body as his foot caught on the edge of the building. Everything seemed to slow down around him as he realized that he was falling. It took him what seemed like a few minutes to recognize that the ground was now so much farther beneath him. He didn't realize that he was no longer grounded to the apartment building. He couldn't perceive that his body was falling.

Suddenly, everything became faster again, and he felt the air rushing past him as he tumbled downwards. He couldn't hear Spock scream out and stun Jancit. He couldn't hear the Vulcan calling out his name. He watched the windows of the building rush past him as he descended.

 _This is it._ He thought. _This is the end._ He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. He thought about the good times that he had. He thought about his daughter. He thought about Kirk. He thought about Spock, and Uhura, and the rest of the crew. He tried, but he couldn't find any regrets. Only that he couldn't warn Spock about the truth about Jancit. _They'll figure it out,_ He smiled to himself. _They're smart. They'll figure it out._ He accepted his fate. He counted on his faith to carry his soul to heaven.

What he didn't count on was the sharp pain as his shoulder was wrenched out of its socket and his body slamming into the side of the building. If there was any breath left in his lungs, it would've been pulled out of him then. His eyes snapped open and he saw Kirk's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist.

"Bones!" Kirk grunted, his face twisted with agony and strain, his upper body peeking out of the window of the building. He was cradling his other arm gently against his chest. "Bones, I need you to help me out and pull yourself up. I can't grab you with my other hand."

McCoy pulled himself out of his trance and sucked air back into his lungs, then struggled to pull his free arm up to the windowsill as Kirk yanked him upwards.

"C'mon, Bones," Kirk grunted as he pulled his friend up with all his strength. "C'mon!"

McCoy's hand curled around the windowsill and he pulled himself up with all the strength he could muster. Kirk pulled him through the windowsill and the two men tumbled onto the ground of the apartment. Both of their chests heaved with the effort and Kirk's face was twisted with pain as he cradled his shoulder. Everything was starting to hit McCoy, and he took shallow breaths as he realized that he had likely broken several ribs, and had dislocated his shoulder.

"Sorry for the rough landing, Bones." Kirk groaned as he struggled to his knees. "You alright?"

"Yeah," McCoy said gruffly, his eyes snapping shut as he felt his ribs shifting in his chest. "Yeah, I think so."

"Thank God," Kirk breathed in relief and pulled the communicator from his belt. "Spock?" He muttered. "Spock," He repeated and McCoy could hear the other line opening.

"Captain, Doctor McCoy-" McCoy was surprised to hear Spock's voice so broken and defeated.

"He's fine, Spock. A little roughed up, but he's fine. He's with me in apartment five-twenty-five." He breathed. "Send up a medteam and meet us down here."

"Aye, Captain." Kirk could hear the relief in Spock's voice before he shut off the line.

"Jim, how did you find me?" McCoy breathed.

"It's a long story," Kirk chuckled. "Involving an angry Spock, a few assault charges that are definitely going to be filed from some angry ambulance workers, a broken elevator, a whole lot of luck, and a hunch."

"Jim?" McCoy huffed.

"Yeah, Bones?"

"You're impossible."

"Well, Bones. This is what you get for talking to my shrink." He chuckled and McCoy rolled his eyes, but couldn't help a small smile from forming on his lips.

/

"So?" McCoy asked from the couch as Kirk stepped through the door to their quarters. "How'd it go?"

"Let's just say that Klingons _hate_ negotiations," Kirk grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair. "We were in there for _ten hours_ Bones. Ten." He flopped down on the couch beside McCoy and heaved a heavy sigh. "But, I think we've worked the big stuff out, mostly."

"Just like that?" McCoy asked in disbelief.

"Well, they were fairly receptive when we handed them Admiral Henyar's confession _and_ Jancit's confession. I mean, don't get me wrong. We're by no means friends with them, but at least we're not still on the brink of a full-scale war." He shrugged, wincing slightly as the burn on his shoulder shifted.

"You alright?" McCoy asked, quickly picking up on Kirk's expression of pain.

"Yeah, I'm good," He laughed dryly. "I'm even better now that they've let me know that there's a root to undo Luna's grip on my mind."

"And Luna?"

"She's in custody. They'll put her on trial soon." Kirk reassured him.

"But what about Neural?" McCoy asked.

"That's where things get a little bit sticky," Kirk sighed heavily. "To keep things peaceful, Starfleet had to cede our influence there, and all of our future influence there. But the Klingon's involvement there is still under negotiation."

"And the Klingons are actually _negotiating_?" McCoy asked in disbelief.

"Well, less of negotiating and more of arguing. But, while that goes on it'll keep them from destroying the planet. I don't know, Bones. All of those politics are way beyond me. But it'll work out, Bones. We've got the right team for the job. And we'll probably be negotiating the little terms on everything for the next couple of days. But at least we've made steps in the right direction."

The two men sat in silence, each of them reflecting on the events in the past couple of days. Neither of them could quite wrap their heads around it yet. It was a lot to take in, after all. McCoy found himself reluctantly admitting to himself that he was homesick for the Enterprise. He missed the crew, most of all. It wasn't the same without them all aboard and working together.

"Hey, Bones," Kirk finally broke the silence and stood up. "Come with me." He extended his good hand to the doctor and pulled him off the couch. He snatched a blanket off the couch and led McCoy through the door and to the elevator. McCoy followed him curiously as they reached the roof. Kirk laid down the blanket on the ground and lowered himself onto it, then patted the blanket beside him, inviting McCoy down. The two men stared up at the stars in the sky, watching them twinkling and shining high above them.

"I'm sorry, Bones." Kirk said quietly, his voice soft and sad.

"For what, Jim?" McCoy asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger man.

"For everything I've done. For hurting you. For the roof. For the shrink. For everything." McCoy could hear the pain in the captain's voice. "I'm sorry."

"Jim, you've got no reason to apologize," McCoy said softly. "But you do have a reason to make me a promise. Promise me that you'll never forget what you mean to me. What you mean to Spock. What you mean to the entire goddamn universe. Never forget that, alright?"

"Okay," Kirk whispered, almost inaudibly after a long pause. "Bones?"

"Yeah, Jim?"

"I can't wait to go back to the Enterprise."

"Me neither, kid." McCoy nodded his head, a small smile creeping across his lips. "Me neither."

/

 _Thanks for reading, everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I hope that you find the end of the story worth it. If you like this story, feel free to check out all of my other stories and all the ones that I'm going to write in the future. Thanks again for all of the feedback and follows and favorites! But most importantly...Live long and prosper._

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


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